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BACKGROUND: Pam & I are colleagues/friends:) from my teaching days at J.E. Ober Elementary! It was during my last few years there that I really got to know Pam. Not only did we work together as part of the support staff; but we were also able to brainstorm & chat about our excitement for technology & what that means for her work with students! While I enjoyed our working relationship, I loved just getting to know her and her family on a more personal level! Getting to meet her family finally in person (on the day of their shoot) was such a pleasure!! THE SHOOT: To start off properly, I have to express my level of nervousness in shooting the Fleetwood family:) After Pam contacted me about taking their pictures, I was was naturally excited to start the brainstorming process involving their upcoming shoot! Not until about a month or two before their scheduled date did I realize that: 1. Barry is a very talented & experienced photographer himself...& 2. Oh yeah...her daughter ALSO takes pictures! NO PRESSURE HERE PAM:)!! haha! I have to admit that my initial thought process included a lot of self-doubt in my skills & the pressure to be half as good as them!! However, after much discussion & convincing with myself, I realized that Pam did ask me to take their pictures! That has to count for something, right?! I looked at it as a great way to test/challenge my skills! Come shoot day, I was overall just excited to see Pam again & meet her family! I had so much fun working with this group! They were so laid back, relaxed, & everything else a photographer could wish for in shooting an extended family! Even, though we had to be creative in finding some shelter from the wind; I am so pleased with our end results! I believe I even saw some Facebook posts & Christmas cards showcasing some pictures from this day!! These first two pictures just shout 'cool' to me! I love the arrangement of the first shot! The second one... I mean, not only is Barry a talented photographer; but also, he's a bad ass on the guitar to boot!! 
Here's a little shout-out to grandpa & grandma! You can just tell how much love they have for their family & each other!
Check out the full FLEETWOOD GALLERY!! A big THANK YOU, Fleetwoods, for your confidence in me & for allowing me to be the one to capture some memories for your family!! I hope that our paths can cross again in the near future! ~Ashley
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BACKGROUND: Jeff is another friend of my brother's that I would consider like a big brother growing up!! From Central Lutheran, Woodlan, Ball State, & beyond; I have very fond memories with those guys! Throughout the years, it came about calling Jeff, 'Go-frey'. I'm not sure I can recall an exact reason why I called him that (from the spelling Geoffrey...even though Jeff is Jeffrey?:); or when this all came about (@ Ball State...perhaps after a night of playing the Woodlan drum march?:)!! Regardless, I just love Jeff!! And through Jeff, I've had the pleasure of meeting & instantly loving Jen! I knew right away that they were absolutely perfect for each other. And now...after hanging out with them & Dalton, I can add that little guy to my list!! He's just added another layer of adorableness! PHOTO SESSION: One of the perks of Jeff working for Goeglein's is that he has access to sites that I would otherwise be unauthorized to use for a shoot! When Jen mentioned going downtown to the Baker Street Station, I was immediately giddy!! The building is amazing, if not simply for it's history! Even though it was a colder day, I still wanted to take outdoor pictures at the beginning & then move inside. And while I loved the opportunity to shoot inside this beautiful building, I still am so partial to outdoor pictures. You just can't beat the lighting & quality of outdoor shots!  *This next picture with the underpass is one of my favorite pictures I've ever taken!! While we had to dodge a few vehicles, it was worth it!! I loved experiencing Dalton's cute little personalilty! He came up with all his own poses:)! And this is after a morning of a Chucky Cheese birthday mind you! I was impressed with how well he did throughout the shoot!  
 Want to see more?!! Check out The WERLING GALLERY!
Jeff, Jen & Dalton; I hope that I was able to capture some life-long memories for you through this shoot; & I pray they make you smile every time you look at them! I just love you guys & wish nothing but the best for you!! ~Ashley I'm spoiled. These seniors are just too good looking! The gorgeous Alexa made my job easy once again!! And can I be the first to mention...holy cow! she looks like her mother!! Haha. I know they've NEVER heard that before!! I know Sarah even posted some side by side senior pictures of her & Alexa on Facebook!! Not knowing a lot about Alexa beforehand, (other than the fact that she enjoys being outdoors and doesn't mind getting a little dirty) my mind started reeling about possible poses & backgrounds she might like. Sarah informed me that Alexa loves to fish over at the Spencerville Covered Bridge. So when they mentioned going there for her shoot, it couldn't have been more perfect! I personally had never been there, & immediately I saw why there were several other photographers shooting that day!! I had a great time getting to know Alexa & Sarah through this session!! We had to dodge the numerous vehicles passing over the bridge; take our turn in several 'hot' spots; & I even had the pleasure of slipping on a snake to get a perfect shot! Ughhhh...the thought still makes shudder! P.S. I thought I slipped on a wet leaf. At least it produced this gorgeous smile from Alexa!! What I won't do for my clients:)
 
 Check out ALEXA'S GALLERY so you can see even more of this pretty lady!!
Thank you, Sarah & Alexa, for allowing me to capture some senior memories for you!! I'm so glad we were able to do them & I had a blast working with you!! ~Ashley Neighbors. Family. Friends. You name it. The Malfait's are a part of our lives in many ways, & we couldn't be more happy that they are! Earlier this fall, I was blessed to have taken pictures for Marcus, Jenna, Aiden & Cohen!! *I could shoot those handsome little guys all day long! And being that Chris & Holly just got married!!! (& had family pictures taken there); we ended up doing a mini session! I really don't think the boys minded the shorter time frame:) For this shoot, I decided that we should take pictures back in Steve's cow pasture. When Jenna mentioned a family shoot in the summer, I began my search for possible locations. My eyes always navigated to that wooded area & the hill that is behind Steve & Brenda's house! I know Steve probably wasn't too thrilled about us walking through there, but I am so glad we did! I mean, how could a cow pasture not be the perfect family shoot setting?! :) Thank you guys for trusting me in this decision!! I hope you are just as excited about the end results as I am!! And being that good looking doesn't hurt in creating these beautiful pictures either!!  Even though this next shot is a little blurry, I have to share it!! I told Steve & Brenda to look lovingly into each other's eyes & this was the anticipated result!! Knowing personally how my Malfait would have responded, I knew that Steve would have some memorable reaction!! 
  Enjoy more pictures from our mini shoot & check out the MALFAIT GALLERY!!
Thank you for allowing me to take pictures of your fabulous family!! You guys are the best! Let me know when Steve wants to do more:)!! ~Ashley Taking pictures of these seniors make me feel OLDer! One being that it has been 15 years since I was getting MY senior pictures taken! Whaaat???! Secondly, I swear I just met Dylan at the J.E. Ober Gym Show, & he was in Jr. High. I feel like that was just a couple of years ago, not 6 or 7! Where does the time go? Last summer when I met up with his mother, Kim (whom I taught with at Ober), my jaw literally dropped when she said he was a senior! While sitting there at Cebolla's, I dared to ask her; "Do you have someone to take Dylan's senior pictures??" Kim took a chance with me, & I'm soooo glad she did!! It really means a lot that she had the confidence in me (since I had yet to have my first official shoot). I was still in the process of deciding to make this photography a business or not?! I'm happy to report, I was a little more confident come shoot day, since I did have a few under my belt by then! We headed downtown Fort Wayne, & Dylan was up for anything! I even had him standing in the middle of the street at one point!! And with Kim as my light lady, I couldn't have asked for a better shoot (& not to mention a lot of fun!)!! On to the man's pictures already!! Ladies, watch out! ...or should I say, Kim & Tyler....watch out for all of the flocking ladies:)! 
What a stud, huh?! I could keep posting and posting.... but I'll save some for Dylan's GALLERY!! Please check out the rest of his pictures from his senior shoot!!
Kim, Thank you for having the confidence in me very early on in this journey of mine! I hope you, Dylan & the rest of your family enjoy these pictures & remember the 'Senior Dylan' for years & years to come! ~Ashley One of the benefits of being married to Jeremy is the family that comes with him! I can't help but love & brag on the amazing Baumle Family. I truly can't say enough about how wonderful each and every one of them are!! If you know them at all, you know exactly what I am talking about. They are the kindest, most caring people & would do anything for you!! I am so excited to share some pictures from their shoot. While we had to reschedule many times due to weather, we were finally able to squeeze in an hour of good lighting! I need to start off by mentioning how perfect their homestead is for some gorgeous backdrops! They have the neatest little brook & woods behind their house! (*I didn't even mind standing in the water for some bridge shots!) Actually, everything on their property is adorable!!! I might just have to contract with Jerry & Kathy so I can go there for other shoots:) Another little fact about that day....It was freeeezzzing for the middle of October. Okay...I'm exaggerating a little since we've just have -24 wind chill here this past week!! It still felt cold for us then; and having a 3 month & 10 month old model in the mix, they were all troopers!! I won't keep you waiting any longer! Check out this good looking family!!   
And that's not all.....check out the BAUMLE GALLERY for some additional pictures from their shoot!!
Thank you so much, Baumles, for allowing me to take pictures of your wonderful family! I hope to have captured some wonderful memories for you!! ~Ashley Given one word to describe Ali, any form of Beautiful would be it! She is such a beautiful young woman, inside & out (as cliche' or cheesy as that sounds....it is so true & darn it, I'm going to say it)! While my interaction with Ali is limited to my Garrett teaching days (I taught with her wonderful mother, Kathryn), & I periodically took her and her younger brother home from school; I have really enjoyed getting to know her a little better. Four years ago, I still remember my first impression of Ali was one of shock! I was blown away by her maturity! While we talked mostly about our shared interest in volleyball; I felt more like I was talking to a colleague or friend than a freshman in high school!! Bring us to this fall, meeting up with her & her mother for this shoot was much of the same! I felt so privileged to just hang out with these two lovely women (really, it felt more like hanging out than doing a shoot)! And I have to say....Ali could NOT have been more perfect of a subject! I mean, seriously, look at her! She was just so natural in front of the lens that she made me look like I knew what I was doing:) Being my first senior girl shoot, I was spoiled! As we passed MANY other photographers & seniors throughout the day, I felt just proud to be the one shooting Ali!! So if you haven't seen any of the sneak peek shots, I'm going to post them again here just so you can see what I'm bragging about! 
I know! Right?! These are just a fraction of the pictures I'm loving! I'm going to have a difficult time choosing a handful for this blog, but that is exactly why I do a digital library for every shoot!
After stopping at a coffee shop to change outfits & warm up a bit, we headed over to the Well's Street Bridge. We were pretty entertained by some locals, which allowed for some natural & beautiful smiles/laughs from Ali! P.S. Her rad leather jacket was her father's when he was younger! 
 Just because we didn't want to use many props or make it seem too 'seniory', I have to post these next couple to represent a little 'Senior'... '2015'!!! You're welcome Ali:)!! Side note: I told you there were a million other senior shoots going on, & this 'SENIORS!' was already written on the wall.
I know you guys want to see more of Ali's senior pics, so check out her digital library- ALI'S GALLERY!!
I'm so glad I ran into you shopping, Kathryn, & was able to set up a shoot with Ali!! You both are such beautiful people & I'm glad to know you!! Ali, I hope you enjoy the rest of your senior year & I can't wait to hear where life takes you next year! God has great plans for you!! ~ Ashley Because I was curious, and we recently had this conversation at our family Christmas; I had to research family structure. From what I read and understand, Olivia & Grace are my first cousins once removed & second cousins to Jameson. Figuring out all that once removed, etc....can drive you a little crazy. Anyways, my cousin Cory & Dani asked me to take pictures of their daughters, Olivia & Grace. I had to laugh because during our conversations leading up to the shoot, Dani mentioned how she might need to say some extra prayers to get shots of Grace:) Come shoot day, I found out just how quick Grace can be! Whew, that girl was FAST! While we didn't get tons of posed pictures of Olivia and Grace together, I can't help but love the pure 'Grace-ness' (haha that word describes her perfectly....right?!) of each shot. Like I've said many times, this IS Grace (& frankly most other 2 year olds) & you wouldn't want to look back and remember it any other way...mud stains on the knees, hair flying in the wind, and all!! I have really enjoyed looking back on these pictures; & frankly, the pure cuteness of these two! Big sister, Olivia, was so interactive and helpful with Grace! It really took me back to my youth and helping out with my younger brother, Corbin! I also have to reiterate here how much Grace has grown and matured in the past few months! I have to say this because Dani refuses to believe me:) I have the privilege of being one of Grace's Sunday School teachers, & she has become the best little listener. She participates in the songs & listens to the stories (often while other 2 year olds are running around like crazy)!! While she might flood her home kitchen with water from the fridge:), I have really enjoyed working with her & watching her grow! I have to start off with these first shots of big sis trying to get Grace ready for action! *The last one is kind of like, 'You're on your own, woman'!!
I LOVE these next few pictures! Actually, they are probably the most 'posed' shots we got from the day! Notice the sassy knee/hip pops on photo #3?! Too cute:)
Now, this is more like it!! I hope Dani agrees with me in that I wouldn't have these pictures any other way! Just a day in the life of Olivia & Grace!    A few individual shots:
 And finally, I'll leave you with this shot! As I revisit all the pictures from this shoot, I keep going back to this last one! I feel like I'm discovering it for the first time! It's overall cuteness & youthful innocence just stand out to me!  Check out Olivia & Grace's GALLERY for more pictures!
Cory, Dani & Family, I hope you enjoy looking at these pictures again as much as I did! Love you guys! ~Ashley When family members are traveling from out of town, the flexibility window (due to weather) is pretty narrow. Well, of course it was pouring on our scheduled date! After searching for ANY possible spot, we decided it was best to try our luck on the next day! I'm sooo glad we did! The day was beautiful, the leaves were beautiful, this family was beautiful!!! Good things happen to those who wait, huh?!! I always like to talk (write) about any connections I have to the family that I'm shooting. At this point in my journey, 99% of clients are current or previous friends! I've known most of the Lantz crew since high school & sports. I played ball (basketball, volleyball, & softball) with Alyson & Stephanie! Since then, unfortunately, I've had little contact with them. So when Stephanie got ahold of me about pictures, I was super excited to meet up with them again!! Battling the sun was worth getting those gorgeous leaves in the background!! And man, this family looks so good!!    I love these little break out sessions as well! The little guys never fail to deliver!!
As this post is waayyy late & Christmas is right around the corner, I can't help but imagine the fun these little ones must have during the holidays!!   Want more? Check out the Lantz Family GALLERY!
Thank you for being patient with your blog post & digital library! AND... for allowing me to take your pictures in the first place! I hope they are a great keepsake for your family! May you have a Merry Christmas & Blessed New Year! ~Ashley I can't say enough about this family! They're just too fun, adorable, & full of love (& I don't care if that sounds cheesy:)! I could literally see how much they love each other!! We ended up doing a 2 part shoot for family + Blake's 2 year photos, & I'm so happy we did! While I like the first shoot, I LOVE the results of the 2nd! You might recognize our two locations if you've golfed at Pond-a-River OR if you are like everyone else this fall (at least my Ft. Wayne area Facebook friends) & visited Lincoln Ridge Farms in Convoy, OH. None of us had been there, so we weren't quite sure what to expect?? There's a reason why everyone goes there!! It is put together very well & ended having many great spots to stop & take a shot!! Also, by round 2, Blake was really getting used to being followed by some crazy lady with a camera!! Man, I know I've said this before, but he is just too. darn. cute! That being said, I have to start off by showcasing this little man! Don't you just want to kiss those adorable little dimpled cheeks?!!
 Speaking of kissing... 
So much adorableness happening here!! *You can see why Blake's so cute!   I'm always saying that I love candid (natural) shots more than anything posed. I don't feel I've captured this style as much as I did during their trip to Lincoln Ridge! It was so fun to just interact and enjoy all the activities with them!
I could go on & on.... Check out more pictures in their GALLERY!
It's always a pleasure seeing & catching up with you guys!! I hope I was able to capture just a fraction of your cuteness & that you LOVE these pictures for many many years to come! ~ Ashley |
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