Rebecca + Alisha's Surprise Proposal at Olbrich Gardens

Rebecca surprised Alisha with a proposal at the couple’s favorite spot in olbrich gardens

Alisha may have suspected something was up, but that didn’t make the moment any less beautiful or emotional. Rebecca set up her camera against a rock to take a picture of the two of them kissing under the giant oak tree, as they have many times before, but just as they were done kissing, Alisha got down on one knee to ask Alisha to marry her (spoiler alert: Alisha said yes)!

We then proceeded to meander about Olbrich gardens, and I got to photograph these two amazing humans being deeply in love (have you ever seen such big smiles?!). It was a beautiful and tender day, and a BIG congratulations to Alisha + Rebecca on their engagement! Thanks for letting me capture this special moment!

—Sam

Olivia's Maternity Photos at Governor's Island

Olivia + Jim are expecting their little one later this month

And Olivia wanted to capture the maternity photos before their son arrives! You might remember Olivia from such weddings as the one pictured here (one of my favorite weddings of all time!) but who you probably haven’t met before is Bumpy, Olvia + Jim’s Cairn terrier fur child, who joined us for some Bumpy + The Bump maternity photos midway through our session. We got to explore all over Governor’s Island for these photos, and what an absolutely gorgeous location for maternity portraits! Enjoy these sweet, once-in-a-lifetime images of Olivia and The Bump, and congrats to Olivia + Jim on expanding their little family!

—Sam

Cat-Themed Family Portraits at the Studio

Aisa got to pick the theme of the family photos this year, and nothing would do but a cat theme!

And I love that her parents, Lindsey + Ben, leaned in! I really want to see more family photos where families are just cool being their weird, fun, and maybe cat-loving, selves! Enjoy these sweet & fun family photos taken at the studio!

—Sam

Kyle + Zoie: Engagement Portraits at Tenney Park

Tenney Park had the perfect late fall vibes for zoie + kyle’s engagement portraits!

The couple lives within walking distance of Tenney Park braved the cold and windy weather for these sweet portraits! I love how the leaves being mostly gone lent a sort of spooky vibe to some of the photos, and how gorgeous the little lake is as a backdrop! Help me wish these two a big congratulations on their engagement!

—Sam

Fall Family Portraits on Monroe Street

Aoife (pronounced ee-fa) and her family had a lovely family portrait session on monroe street

The weather may have been blustery, but Aoife and her parents James & Sydney still had a great punking around Monroe Street, ending with some delicious ice cream at The Chocolate Shoppe! (Don’t tell Aoife, but I ended up getting Peppermint Twist instead of Chocolate once our session was over). Enjoy these sweet family photos!

—Sam

Fall Family Portraits with Fiona + Winnie

Fiona + Winnie’s family had a beautiful fall portrait session at Governor NElson State Park

The weather could not have been any more lovely for these two little ones and their family during their portrait session, and Winnie + Fiona enjoyed the heck out of what Governor Nelson State Park had to offer in terms of leaves, sand, and playground equipment while we were there! Enjoy the fun photos of this adorable family!

—Sam

Fall Family Portraits at Governor Nelson State Park

Governor Nelson State Park was extra gorgeous for these fun family portraits

The Fall colors have been elusive this season because of how warm it’s been, but we managed to find some for family photos of Erin + Dan and their three kids (young adults now, holy crap)! It was a gorgeous and fun day and despite the shenanigans, not a single teen died of embarrassment, so I’ll call it a win! It’s always so fun to photograph this wonderful family! Enjoy the photos!

—Sam

Fall Family Portraits at Pope Farm Conservancy

Pope Farm Conservancy is the perfect spot for fall family photos!

The golden hour sun, the leaves, the EAGLES, and this adorable family made for the perfect fall family portrait session! The kids had more than enough energy for walking around the park (and thankfully there was lots of room to run too), and it is always a pleasure to photograph this wonderful family!

—Sam

Fall Family Portraits at the UW Arboretum

It is always a joy to get to see clients whose weddings we’ve photographed again, especially when I get to meet the next generation!

Will is such a sweet kiddo, and it was a blessing to get to meet him and catch up with Catherine + John, whose wedding we photographed almost a decade ago! This little pumpkin wasn’t so sure about the camera at first, but look at the smile on him (and the extra skeptical side-eye too lol)! Congrats to this adorable little family!

—Sam

Fall Family Portraits at the Epic Campus

Epic was the perfect setting for these family portraits!

Sean, Jenny, and Ava (along with their two pups Maggie and Bernie) were troopers with the drizzle and wind that happened during their family portraits, but holy smokes did these turn out pretty! Epic was a beautiful backdrop for these family portraits, and I am always pumped to get to pet more dogs, so this was literally a perfect session even with the weather being temperamental! Enjoy the photos of this sweet family!

—Sam

Family Portraits at Thousand Oaks Park

Family portraits aren’t only for families with young children

Family portraits are an awesome idea for all families! Claire (and her adorable rescue pup Jojo) invited her parents and sister to take family portraits while they were all in town visiting, and I love how these golden hour family photos turned out!

—Sam

Daliah + Jakob: A Delightful Early Fall Engagement Session at Pope Farm Conservancy

We may not have fall colors yet, but we definitely had cozy vibes for this fall engagement session

Daliah (she/they) and Jakob (he/his) were such a joy to work with! I mean, just look at those smiles! We made the best of the unseasonably warm October weather and lack of fall colors, but still managed to get that beautiful golden hour light and cozy vibes that I love in engagement photos! We can’t wait to celebrate with them for their wedding next year!

—Sam