I had some time to kill before a wedding in Kalamazoo yesterday and figured I would open up a couple mini sessions to fill the afternoon. It was pretty last minute, but apparently Leah thrives on that so it all worked out! :) This was actually really fun so I decided to keep it going until December 10th.
The Foster's are back! If you ever want to see how my work has grown over the past 6 years, go look for all of their posts from our old blog (www.mudeyes.com). Search for keyword like "dave and lacey, the fosters, hudson" and you'll find all kinds of goodies. It seems like time just flies by and I can't believe they are pregnant with another baby. It feels like I was just doing Hudson's newborn photos like a month ago.
Josh and Emily were one of our first wedding clients many years ago. I have no idea where all of these years went but for them, they have this adorable little human, Evanlyn and another on the way! I remember when they got married, I wondered what their kids would look like because they are from such opposite backgrounds. It looks like as far as genetics go, Josh's are pretty darn strong, hah! Evalyn is his little twin.
This is Jake and Waylon and they just turned one! I've shot plenty of one year olds, but may have underestimated two. Their mom deserves about a thousand awards a day to keep up with these two all day long. Just in the short time I spent with them during the session my head was spinning a little trying to keep up with them! So often I wish I had a photo from their perspective though. It's me in the middle surrounded by all their loved ones with toys, happy faces and dancing around to entertain them. The wonderfully embarrassing things parents and grandparents do for the little babies they love. :)
Haha! This one cracks me up. The different moods and personalities of these two is hilarious.
And lastly, this super serious one. He means business!!
We absolutely adore the Gruss family. We shot Jon & Elisa's wedding about 6 years ago and now they have 3 little humans! They were here in Muskegon vacationing at Maranatha and we were so happy to hear from them and do a family session! They are just the most kind, down to earth people and we enjoyed this session probably just as much, if not more, than they did. :) We shot out at Hoffmaster state park which is one of my favorite places in Muskegon and I'm so happy with how these turned out. 
Well I have to make a comment on this one, her face is hilarious! I have no idea what she is so horrified over but I feel like this is a truly priceless moment. :) 
Full Album Slideshow: http://www.gauperphoto.com/slideshows
It's hard to believe this day is here. I started this project back in 2011 and since I did it as a gift, it kept getting pushed to the bottom of my list since I had other paid work to handle first. This winter, I worked for an entire week to get it all finished and I'm so incredibly proud of this book. It might be the project I am most proud of in my career so far. I am getting an actual physical sample of the book printed but have not ordered it yet and well, I got impatient and wanted to share it now. :)
We shot Hope and Evan's wedding in 2010 and the following year, they were pregnant. So we started on this journey photographing them at every milestone. Maternity, Newborn, 3 months, 7 months and a year. It's so cool to see them grow as a family and to see what new thing's Renn has learned since our last session. Their newborn photos were taken around their first apartment and his 3 month were at their first home which is where he will grow up. Having photos taken in a place that is personal to you has a lot of value which is why I love in home sessions. Your surrounded by all of your things that are important to you and in a place that feels comfortable. It's really the perfect setting.
We also ventured out to the park and such as he got older and enjoyed those sorts of things, but it's still another place that is natural and fun.
I wish I was a good at sales and could say all kinds of magical sales person words that make people feel things and want to invest in them but...for anyone who knows me, I am not that person. I just spew out words. All I can say is how highly I value this work and how much I hope other people want to have a book like this as well because I would love to continue doing this.
Also, Hope and Evan and pregnant with another boy! I hope this book will be a great memory for their family of when their family was just the three of them, getting their first house and figuring out parenthood.
I love when past wedding clients have babies. It's and incredible thing to be a part of 2 really important events in their life. What's even more interesting is to see how they have changed and settled into married life together. Because of a new baby, there is still a sense of newness but it's great to see their family grow from just the two of them to three.
You might remember Kelli and Jeremy's wedding from a couple years ago. If not, you can check out those images here >> Kelli & Jeremy's South Haven Wedding
Little Brody is so tiny and laid back. He was surprisingly awake for most of the session which is uncommon but we welcomed open eyes wondering what all these crazy new blobs were. There's a lot going on so I guess he just didn't want to miss out on anything! He was 3 weeks EARLY so maybe that has something to do with it. The fact that he could have still been in the womb for 3 more weeks blows my mind.
Jeremy built this bench that is in Brody's room and I love that we were able to get such great shots on it. It overlooks the lake that they live on and it's the most peaceful spot. This is why I really love shooting inside people's homes. This stuff is personal to them and and it's things he will grow up with. I know for me, that has more value than locations or backgrounds and props that just look good and don't really mean anything to me.
Oh my
Oh my stars...he looks so tiny here! I love doing crib shots because they grow so quickly and it's a great way for parents to reference back to when they were this little.
Let's talk about the reality of the first week of having a newborn. Everyone is tired...all the time. Everyone was really on board when I brought up this idea and I'm almost certain they all actually fell asleep while I was shooting these photos.
His nursery is huge so it doubles as a guest bedroom and I bet you'd never guess that these guys love the water :)
After we were done, they put him back in his happy place. I can't blame him, these little seats look so comfy, I wish had one in my size. This was probably the most exhausting day of his life since the effort he put in to be born so he deserves a nice long nap. Actually, everyone deserved a nap :) I hope you all love the photos!
Oh, and I thought I would include this because it's funny. Ryan will probably sigh at me when he sees it hahaha but SOMEONE has to show examples of poses and Ryan just does such a great job. :)
