Nisha and Eric’s Maternity Session

For a while I was pretty sure that my brother Eric and his wife Nisha were the corporate-ladder-climbing couple who would spend their whole lives traveling every corner of the world, eating dinners at all the fancy restaurants, and always looking like they fell straight out of the pages of a style magazine. You know, doing all the things that people with young children rarely have the time or expendable income to accomplish.

But to my nearly-spitting-a-mouthful-of-food surprise, they announced at Thanksgiving dinner last year that they were expecting their first child. Aside from their good news that day, I was thankful that I didn’t do a spit-take in that moment. It was a close call.

I learned that day that I wasn’t wrong about who they are. But I was wrong in my assumption that their career accomplishments and lifestyle were the only goals and desires they had. Building a family is important to them too. I was wrong to think that those options are mutually exclusive. I think they’re simply the type of people who have figured out how to have it all, which is pretty incredible.

But pretty incredible things are to be expected from pretty incredible people.

For their maternity session, we explored an area in Blue Springs that has some very simple but very beautiful natural backgrounds just off a fairly busy road. I drive by this area all the time. I watch it transform from bare gray sticks and dead grass in the winter to vibrant pops of color in the fall. In the late spring, it’s lush green with tall grasses and kaleidoscopes of sunlight bouncing through the leaves. As most areas are, it’s gorgeous at sunset. And even more gorgeous with a beautiful couple on the verge of being a beautiful family…

Nisha and Eric Maternity- - Kansas City Family Photographer | Blue Springs | Lake Jacomo | Maternity Portraits | Sunset Portraits | www.anthem-photo.com Anthem Photography - www.anthem-pNisha and Eric Maternity- - Kansas City Family Photographer | Blue Springs | Lake Jacomo | Maternity Portraits | Sunset Portraits | www.anthem-photo.com Anthem Photography - www.anthem-pNisha and Eric Maternity- - Kansas City Family Photographer | Blue Springs | Lake Jacomo | Maternity Portraits | Sunset Portraits | www.anthem-photo.com Anthem Photography - www.anthem-pNisha and Eric Maternity- - Kansas City Family Photographer | Blue Springs | Lake Jacomo | Maternity Portraits | Sunset Portraits | www.anthem-photo.com Anthem Photography - www.anthem-pNisha and Eric Maternity- - Kansas City Family Photographer | Blue Springs | Lake Jacomo | Maternity Portraits | Sunset Portraits | www.anthem-photo.com Anthem Photography - www.anthem-pNisha and Eric Maternity- - Kansas City Family Photographer | Blue Springs | Lake Jacomo | Maternity Portraits | Sunset Portraits | www.anthem-photo.com Anthem Photography - www.anthem-pNisha and Eric Maternity- - Kansas City Family Photographer | Blue Springs | Lake Jacomo | Maternity Portraits | Sunset Portraits | www.anthem-photo.com Anthem Photography - www.anthem-pNisha and Eric Maternity- - Kansas City Family Photographer | Blue Springs | Lake Jacomo | Maternity Portraits | Sunset Portraits | www.anthem-photo.com Anthem Photography - www.anthem-pNisha and Eric Maternity- - Kansas City Family Photographer | Blue Springs | Lake Jacomo | Maternity Portraits | Sunset Portraits | www.anthem-photo.com Anthem Photography - www.anthem-pNisha and Eric Maternity- - Kansas City Family Photographer | Blue Springs | Lake Jacomo | Maternity Portraits | Sunset Portraits | www.anthem-photo.com Anthem Photography - www.anthem-pNisha and Eric Maternity- - Kansas City Family Photographer | Blue Springs | Lake Jacomo | Maternity Portraits | Sunset Portraits | www.anthem-photo.com Anthem Photography - www.anthem-p

Special thanks to my oldest son for allowing me to use him as a lighting assistant for this session!

http://www.anthem-photo.com

Year in Review: Anthem Photography’s Favorite Images of 2014

I love reflecting upon my work at the end of each year. It’s always a fun reminder of how blessed I am to have the job that I do. It’s also my distraction from all that year-end paperwork and tax crap that I despise. In 2014 I shot 24 weddings, had 85 portrait sessions, and took nearly 60,000 photos. There are thousands of images that I treasure immensely of hundreds of people I met over the last 12 months. These are among my favorite images and moments of the year…

 

 

…like the pure joy of a bridesmaid congratulating the bride moments after the ceremony:

becky and tanner - second shooting for matthew- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 016

…this gorgeous outdoor wedding:

eleanor and jacob- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 023studio 1133 brattin family 2014- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 034 brattin family 2014- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 035

…the time Captain America (and his adorable cousin) stopped by the studio:

Burasco Goldstein Harnden Gang- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 032 Downtown Blue Springs Photography  engagement pictures- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 002 crossroads kansas city engler family- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 052 Unity Village Unity Village

…bath time with my little dude:

fall 2014- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 045 Anthem Photography | www.anthem-photo.com

…this perfect downtown KC engagement session:

crossroads kansas city  crossroads kansas cityjaime's photos- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 028

…the most incredible wedding cake I’ve ever seen:

jaime's photos- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 029 Downtown Lee's Summit katherine and nick- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 025

…this dreamy engagement session that sent me home with poison ivy (still totally worth it):

lake photos- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 030

…this maternity session with two people I love and adore:

messner maternity- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 017unique location

…the tons of talent in KC for Middle of the Map Fest:

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…being able to photograph one of my all-time favorite bands:

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…no, TWO of my all-time favorite bands:

jimmy eat worldone year one mile experiment- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 009

…playing in the snow with my big guy:

unique location \

…the supermoon:

super moon- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 031nelson atkins museum photos

…my absolutely adorable niece:

studio 1133

…my little guy’s first birthday:

www.anthem-photo.com james a reed james a reed

…this awesome family:

james a reed

…THIS awesome family:

unity village

…and THIS awesome family:

james a reed

…and every freaking awesome moment of the Switchfoot show

switchfoot and royal concept- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 011 switchfoot and royal concept- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 012switchfoot and royal concept- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 010  wedding- -  - www.anthem-photo.com - 020

…prayers over this gorgeous bride before she walked down the aisle

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…and a quiet moment between a father and daughter moments before her wedding

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…this beautiful bride walking down the aisle

Club 1000

…and then sneaking away from the reception for a quick rooftop photo

unique location  weston red barn farm wedding

…and EVERYTHING about this perfect orchard wedding

weston red barn farm weddingweston red barn farm wedding

 

Thank you, my incredible clients, for allowing me into your lives to document these priceless moments and to create images that I hope you’ll treasure forever. Here’s to 2014!

 

http://www.anthem-photo.com

Natalie and Dennis are Engaged (AND Expecting!)

Natalie was one of first high school seniors that I photographed several years ago. Since that time, I’ve had a few photo sessions with her family as well. And now she is building a family of her own, so needless to say, this was a very special photo session for me!

Natalie and Dennis actually have TWO awesome life events that they are about to celebrate: their marriage AND the arrival of their daughter, Olivia.

IMG_1856 IMG_1762 IMG_1715 IMG_1687-2 IMG_1627-2 IMG_1618 IMG_1605

 

Evans Family Maternity Session

If you follow my work, these faces will certainly be familiar to you. It’s the Evans gang once again (and this time they’re back with a baby bump)!

I’ve had the honor of photographing this family every three to six months since Gavin was just a few days old – and (as hard as it is for me to believe) he’ll be three years old next month! Turning three is a pretty big deal. Growing taller. Learning to accomplish tasks independently. Asking “Why?” constantly. All that good stuff. But if you’re Gavin, turning three also means becoming a big brother. And what could be better than that?

I’m incredibly excited to meet the new arrival in the coming weeks. I’m looking forward to seeing Gavin hold his little brother, to see how he reacts to the squirms and coos of such a tiny person, to see the Big Brother pride on his face, and to capture those moments with my camera.