Modern Flair Photography

2011-08-02T21:16:00.000-05:00

The day after throwing my sister-in-law's baby shower, we get a call at home that she had just checked into the hospital with contractions. I started praying that her labor would be quick and easy; God certainly answered those prayers! 1 hour and 15 minutes later, we got a text "It's a boy!" Even before the baby was born, I was dreaming up the different poses to do for his newborn photos. This newborn shoot came with some special VIP treatment - My hubby baked lasagna for all of us while baby Colton took a nap. It was great being able to spend time with them and it was a bonus to get to hold baby Colton. I cannot wait to spoil him as he grows up - too much fun!

2011-06-04T16:32:00.000-05:00

So it's been a while since I have posted any photos - I had myself a much-needed break. I was so busy that I had forgotten why I decided to start doing portraiture photography. The session I had the other day reminded me exactly why I love to take photos. This family's little girl was too cute! She reminded me of a Cabbage Patch doll - big blue eyes and chubby cheeks. Just cute! She apparently is already into boys - she couldn't stop flirting with my husband as he helped me out with the photos. Looks like I have some pretty cute competition. :)

Audrey just recently turned one year old so we took a few photos in her birthday outfit which was handmade by a friend and previous client, Gwen. She makes tons of cute items for babies and children - check out her site here: Stitches & Seams by Gwen.
Alright, well onto the photos! Enjoy!

2011-01-15T23:51:00.010-06:00

So, to catch up on the last few months... Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! There. Now that's done. Honestly though, it has been a long time since I updated the blog, but only because I've been beyond busy with sessions for the holidays. Let's see - Since I've updated last, I did a senior photoshoot, family shoot, a wedding and a newborn session. Phew! I can't believe I did all of that mixed in with the holidays and traveling. So, instead of updating each and every session, I figured I would just post all of my favorite photos in one post... this post. It's a long one, so sit back, relax and enjoy!

2010-11-16T20:25:00.000-06:00

Chris & Hope are the cutest couple I've seen! Usually during my sessions I have to pose the couple and as soon as the photo is taken, they stand and wait for my next instructions. With Chris & Hope I found myself having to keep my camera trained on them because as soon as I told them the shot was good, they'd do something even cuter! Their love for each other just emanated from them - it would have been impossible not to photograph it. You can just see their love for each other in their photos.

Chris & Hope - You guys are great! I wish you the best in your marriage!

2010-11-14T20:54:00.000-06:00

We did a photoshoot the other day of an awesome senior! Ashlee is a very fun, outgoing, and beautiful young lady, inside and out. I spent a few hours with her for the shoot and it felt like I've known her forever. If you have a chance to get to know Ashlee, you should - you won't regret it! She is also into photography as well - go check out her stuff here!

2010-11-10T21:13:00.000-06:00

I got to take photos of a very cute family the other day. We got a couple really good family shots, but very soon after the children were anxious to be done. Luckily we had picked a location with a playground - so as soon as they got fussy, we all went to the playground to let out that energy. It was very hard to chase the kids around on the playground, but I managed to get some shots of them playing. Then we got a few shots of the kids, a couple more of the family all together, and then some more of Lucas - it was his first birthday photos. Enjoy the sneak peek!

I just had to include a couple funny photos! These were too cute!

2010-11-03T21:03:00.000-05:00

Stacey and Bryan have been friends of my family for a while now - so much so, that their son calls my mother "grandma". I was there on their wedding day in 2005 and I still remember thinking "they have got to be the cutest couple ever!". I finally got to photograph them with their entire family, along with their 2 very cute boys. We were going to do some photos outdoors at the fountain near the Edwardsville Library but it was homecoming night and there were a lot of teens there in suits and dresses - so we postponed that shoot for another time. I still had fun taking their photos, even if we had to cut it short. Enjoy the photos everyone!

2010-10-27T23:20:00.000-05:00

Alex is a beautiful young lady that we had the pleasure of photographing for her Senior photos. Her boyfriend set up the session as a surprise, but he caved in the day of the session and told her about it - which was actually a good thing because she had to get prepared for the shoot. We started out in the backyard with photos of Alex with her boyfriend, Cody, and their two dogs. After being eaten to death by the swarm of mosquitoes in a specific area of the yard, we headed out to Downtown St. Charles to take photos around Main Street - Alex's favorite place. We walked around, stopping to take photos here and there. There were so many great photos, we couldn't help but include a lot of our favorites. Hope you enjoy them too!

2010-09-18T17:25:00.003-05:00

We had the opportunity to take photos for a former coworker, Jen, and her husband's family. Jen is a photographer too - check out her website here! Jen's in-laws had a huge yard which very easily became our shoot location. The morning had started out dreary with rain and thunderstorms the night before. The closer we got to starting the shoot, the more the sun came out. We started with the group photo, and then did each family, including individuals of each kid. We met Jen & Donnie's nieces and nephew - all three with beautiful blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Just gorgeous! Matthew just loved to pose for us too!

Thanks for letting us photograph you guys! Enjoy the sneak peek!

Grandpa had to get a photo of him and his grandkids on the tractor.

We just had to put this one up of Jen and her hubby, Donnie with their dog, Kagome. Hope you love it Jen!

2010-08-04T20:56:00.005-05:00

When I was asked to do this newborn session, I was extremely excited and couldn't wait! This family of 3 was the cutest family I have ever seen, so full of God's love - You can just see how much they cherish each other! Now they have grown into a family of 4 with the birth of little baby girl Emmanuel Grace, and the love has grown as well. Manny is the most precious baby I have seen in a long time! So sleepy and sweet! As soon as we started to shoot she opened her eyes and looked around to check things out. We then went outside to take a few shots and she quickly fell right back to sleep. Big brother Eli (also super adorable!) did awesome with getting his picture taken, although he did get a little side-tracked with the weeds alongside the house (great photo-op!). We then went inside and took a few more photos of Manny in between her dosing in and out of sleep. There were so many gorgeous photos, I couldn't hardly pick out my favorites to post as a sneak peek. So, there's quite a few! Tim & Gwen- You two are such wonderful parents, & God has blessed you for it! I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I have!

2010-07-12T22:54:00.004-05:00

My aunt has been wanting to get family photos taken for almost a year now.

It's almost ironic... I love to have photos taken to capture moments in our lives, but the last time we had family pictures taken was at my wedding almost 4 years ago. Honestly, it's hard to get a family portrait taken if you have to be in the portrait.

Anyway, my cousin was in town from college so we managed to squeeze a session in there while we could. Everyone says it's hard to photograph people you know, but this session went perfectly well (we even figured out how to get a teenage boy to laugh - a feat in and of itself). Towards the end we decided to get a few photos with their dogs, Rascal and Chili, and then took some photos outside in their garden.

Aunt Sheila - your garden was beautiful and so is your family (of course, I am a little bit bias). Enjoy the photos!

2010-06-16T20:41:00.002-05:00

We had a maternity session the other week, with such a beautiful mom-to-be! There was a threat of stormy weather, so our location changed from a local park to her parents' house. We started off in the backyard, taking a few shots here and there in any shade we could find. Then we rested for a little bit on the patio to cool off. I ventured around the property and found out that there was a railroad track right in their backyard! So, being a photographer, I couldn't pass that up! Afterwards we went inside the house to cool off again (it was really hot, especially for a mom-to-be). That was where I found a huge window in the living room which gave us some great back-lit shots. Very classic. Last but not least, we had some fun with fingerpainting! Caleb & Jamie - Thank you for letting us photograph your pregnancy! Can't wait to see baby Lucas!

2010-06-12T11:41:00.007-05:00

Cody & Maria's wedding day went by so quickly, but it will be a day they will remember for a lifetime. We woke up early to go with Maria to get her hair done, grabbed some fast food for breakfast, bought Maria a diet 7-Up and crackers for her nervous stomach, and then headed to the church. Cody & Maria wanted to keep the tradition of not seeing each other before the wedding. So, every room we walked into we'd look for Cody and yelled "Is Cody in here?", just to make sure we were safe to bring Maria in.

The ceremony started right on time, with Maria's younger brother, Alan, playing the piano for the processional. They picked out some very beautiful non-traditional songs. Everything went as planned, except for the "You may kiss the bride", which turned into "You may try to kiss the bride while she giggles."

After the ceremony, the newlyweds went downstairs to the reception hall, where Alan sang and played a song that he wrote for the couple (very funny and cute) and then they cut their "The Game of Life" cake. The new couple then mingled with their guests before we left to take some more photos of just the newlyweds.

Cody & Maria, thanks for letting us capture your special day!

2010-05-24T19:32:00.004-05:00

With the weather being so crazy lately, we weren't sure if we would be able to do a family session the other day. There was a threat of thunderstorms for the entire evening, but we decided not to cancel the session. We started the shoot with cloudy skies; then we had a few sprinkles of rain, plenty of laughs, and tons of fun! George & Glenda - Your family is just too much fun! We really loved taking your photos for you and we hope you enjoy them just as much!

2010-05-13T21:50:00.005-05:00

My sister-in-law is doing the one thing she swore she would never do... get married. I'm so happy that she is though because they make such a cute couple. We enjoy capturing the love that engaged couples just can't hide. Cody & Maria - The wedding is coming up so quickly! I am so excited to photograph your wedding... Maria you are going to be so gorgeous in your dress!

2010-05-12T18:49:00.006-05:00

It's prom season! We photographed a great looking couple on a very windy, stormy Saturday. Just as we started to shoot, it started to sprinkle and then stopped. We took a couple photos, went out on the dock and then the sun came out. Finished the session with dark clouds coming in and no sooner than we got back home we heard the tornado sirens going off in town. Just an example of God's great timing! Haley & Tony - We are so glad that you love your photos! We love them too!

2010-04-27T21:11:00.007-05:00

Last week, we had a family shoot out at Forest Park. They were such a good looking family, with two gorgeous girls! We had a great time photographing this family... we got "lost" heading to our first location to shoot, saw a walker-by "honk" at a goose, and played in a waterfall. Thank you Christina for letting us photograph your beautiful family! Enjoy the sneak peek!

2010-04-26T20:48:00.005-05:00

We had the cutest little girl for a model the other day! Of course, we are a little bias since she is Michele's niece. Right away, Brandi started to blow dandelion seeds and pose for the camera.

Have you guessed her favorite color yet?

She asked her mom if she could get a pair of Skechers. Brandi picked these out herself. Super cute!

2010-04-13T18:56:00.009-05:00

Sorry we haven't blogged in a while. Winter really slows down an on-location photography studio. However, spring has sprung! Which means, so have sessions! We had an engagement session last weekend with the perfect weather and a perfect couple. Blake & Kalen have been friends for the longest time and soon they will be walking down the aisle together as husband and wife. They were super fun to photograph! You can see the love in their photos, which isn't hard to miss. If we were adjusting the camera/lighting, they were laughing in each others' arms. Blake & Kalen, we are super excited for the wedding! We can't wait to capture all of the candid moments!

2009-12-02T19:36:00.004-06:00

A few posts back we had a maternity session with such a great couple and two beautiful little girls. We finally got to photograph little baby William who will be almost 5 months old soon. He is definitely a morning baby with a few smiles and the most gorgeous blue eyes! He got a little fussy halfway through the session, took a nap, and bounced right back to a happy baby boy. We will definitely have to get some brand new family photos for you guys soon.

2009-10-29T16:24:00.004-05:00

It's certainly getting to be that time of year, where it's beautiful outside but almost too cold to do a session. The day for Amanda & Dana's session started out really cold. We weren't even sure if we could do any outdoor photography since there was an 8 month old baby involved and we didn't want her to get too cold. However, as soon as we were ready for pictures, the weather seemed to get just a little bit warmer and the sun hid behind some clouds, giving us the perfect lighting. Once it got cold again, we headed inside and did the rest of the session in the sun room while everyone slowly warmed up.

We just want to say thank you to both of the families involved!
You were too much fun to photograph!

2009-10-05T22:12:00.004-05:00

We had a 2 hour session the other day that soon turned into a 4 hour session. Cody and Arika were so much fun to work with and I just couldn't put down the camera. Too many cool photos to choose from, but here's a few of our favorites.

2009-10-03T21:50:00.004-05:00

We had a last minute photo session the other day and with only one hour of sunlight left in the day. Picking out our favorite photos from this session was extremely hard. Gayle is such a gorgeous girl! Every photo looked like a model's headshot. She was really excited to see her photos so we're posting our favorites on the blog. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

2009-08-11T23:10:00.003-05:00

After cancelling the first session due to a false alarm for a thunderstorm, we finally got a second session rescheduled and the weather was beautiful. Connie and Kendra are a very gorgeous mother and daughter duo, who were not only beautiful to photograph, but so much fun to be around!

2009-05-28T19:25:00.004-05:00

We had a little bit of great weather before all this rain came into town, so we took advantage of it and had a maternity session. Vince and Amanda have such a cute family already, and now another member is on the way. Can't wait to take pictures of the little one after he/she is born! Congratulations you two!

2009-05-11T14:10:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. We are currently working on some adjustments to our prices, collections, and a few other things. With photography, creativity never stops and there is always room for improvement. We hope our changes will be more customer friendly for you.
Once we get it all finalized, let us know what you think!

2009-03-24T00:51:00.009-05:00

Our first baby photoshoot, and let me tell you it was very interesting. Little Zoe was just too adorable! We took a few shots and unfortunately a few minutes later, she was crying. Luckily, Mom had a few tricks up her sleeve. We finished the photoshoot with a vacuum running, a CD of blow dryer noise, and the actual blow dryer itself running in the background. Zoe fell right to sleep admist all the loud noise and I swear I lost my hearing for a good portion of the session. It was tons of fun though! Thanks Mom & Dad for opening up your home to us!

2009-02-24T21:48:00.004-06:00

Our website is now up! Click on the image below to check it out.

2009-02-08T20:54:00.006-06:00

Here's a sneak peek of Kelsey's photoshoot.

We went out when the weather was almost perfect (still a little cold), and had two hours full of fun. Halfway through the session, Kelsey just started laughing... when we asked her why she said that she "didn't think being a model was that much work". Trust me, we tell you to do some pretty weird stuff that you wouldn't think looks good, but we know what we're doing. Our customers almost always look at the picture afterward and go "Oh, that's why you told me to do that... I look awesome!"

Anyway, enjoy the sneak peek everyone!

2009-01-25T09:49:00.002-06:00

It's snowing today. Just 3 days ago, we were scouting outdoor shooting locations in jackets and me in flip flops... and now it's snowing. Unpredictable weather isn't so great for our career choice, but if everyday was perfect then there wouldn't be too much excitement when the weather is perfect. Learn to love it, I suppose.

We took some pictures of each other around town... you just might see them on here. We have a few sessions lined up already but with the weather the way it is, it's hard to schedule a date. As soon as we can though, we'll put up some sneak peaks of those sessions.

In the meantime, if you have any questions for us you can email us at modernflairphoto@gmail.com.

The Birth of Our Blog

2009-01-16T00:36:00.003-06:00

We have just given birth to our first blog post! Stay tuned for updates!