Greg

This past summer, I met up with Greg Frieden from Greg Frieden Photography in Amana and again in  Wellman to capture some new portraits of him for his website.  Amana was such a fun location to photograph in.  We began by the lily pond which was simply beautiful, as was the pompous grass along the road side just opposite the pond.  Then we headed to the downtown Amana area.  The buildings there were simply gorgeous.  I love the rustic bricks.

The Klitgaard Family

Another of our wonderful families who joined us during our Autumn Mini Sessions, was the Klitgaard family.  Seriously, how adorable are these kiddos?  They did great during the session, such wonderful smiles and giggles and love.  The wonderful interactions and connection they have in their portraits together are beautiful. 

How Time Flies!

 It is hard to believe it, but my baby is 5 today.  I mention often in this blog how I'm amazed at how quickly my clients' children are growing, the same rings true for my own.  While I may not wake up each morning and think, "Wow, Gabby has gotten so much bigger since I last saw her, " I often think back to moments when she was younger and it truly hits me that she's not a baby or toddler anymore.  I am so thankful to have so many photographs and portraits of her as she has grown to remind me of just how small she once was.

Kyle & Samantha {Wedding}

On October 19th, I had the pleasure of capturing Kyle and Samantha's wedding.  I started my day with Samantha and her bridesmaids as she got ready at the salon.   It is always fun to see the beautiful transformation that takes place at the salon.  It is not just a hairstyle and makeup.  You can see it in the glow a bride gets as she gets ready for her wedding day.  As the final pins are placed in her hair, her veil put on, and her makeup perfected, she transforms from a woman in love into a glowing, beautiful bride. 

Dan & Stanzy {Wedding}

I had so much fun with Dan and Stanzy at their wedding in mid-October.  Their wedding and reception were both held at the beautiful University Club in Iowa City.  I loved the gorgeous light on the deck area.  It made for a wonderful spot for the formal portraits. 

Delta Zeta

  

In October, I head the pleasure of heading to the University of Iowa's Delta Zeta house to photograph head shot mini sessions for some of the amazing women there.  As these women complete their degrees, they are looking towards entering the professional world.  These head shot mini sessions give them wonderful images to put forth on their business cards, website, Google+, Facebook, and other resources as they launch themselves into their profession and seek employment.  

Mark & Janeen {Engaged}

In early October, I headed up to Sutliff to photograph Mark and Janeen's engagement session.  We began our session at Janeen's parents farm.  Mark brought his old pick up out to the field for the session.  It has been a project of his for a while and he was able to get it up and running in time for the session.  I love the image of them through the rear window.

Elle-Mirai Fairy Tea

In August, I headed to Gazebo on the Green in Iowa City to capture some adorable little girls wearing beautiful clips from Elle-Mirai during their fairy tea party.  Seriously, how fun!  Gazebo on the Green offers a wonderful experience for little girls (or boys) during these fairy teas.  They get to go on a walk through the gardens to find fairies and at the end of their treasure hunt, they earn their fairy wings.  My girls were so happy to have the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful experience.

Ava {Two Years Old}

Ava is two!  She came into the studio at the beginning of October for her portrait session and was quite the ball of energy.  Ava wasn't too keen on sitting for her session, but I think we got some fantastic shots of her despite how wiggly she was.  I adore the photos of her on our new gray vintage chair.  You can tell she is full of personality!

Carter & Adria

 

 Carter and Adria came out to our Autumn Mini-Sessions earlier in October.  Despite the slight drizzly weather, they did great.  I love Adria's crocheted top her mom, of the amazing Etsy shop Cassidy's Crochet Creations, made for her.  Seriously adorable!  I love Carter's outfit as well, the blues in his plaid shirt really made his eyes pop.

Ellen {Professional}

 

During mini-sessions, I had the pleasure of photographing Ellen.  She was in search of some great professional head shots for her career.  I think her portraits captured her personality and beautiful smile. 

Blaire & Marin {6 Months}

Blaire and Marin recently came into the studio for their mini-session.  Seriously, how adorable are these two?  These sweet little six months old twins have very different personalities.  Marin is all smiles and not shy at all.  Whereas, Blaire has a bit of stranger danger and is a little unsure of new places.  We did manage to get some sweet smiles from Blaire in between a few moments of fussing.

Kenny & Erin {Engaged}

Last weekend, I headed up to Clear Lake to capture Kenny and Erin's engagement portraits.  I haven't been to Clear Lake for a couple years, so I was excited to head back up that way.  I love the opportunity to photograph somewhere new.  We began our session at the Central Gardens of North Iowa.  It is a beautiful location and the evening light created a wonderful glow.  It was a perfect location for their portraits.

A Crazy, Wonderful Week

The past week has been non-stop for me between studio and on location sessions.  Our autumn mini-sessions were a hit, I had some wonderful engagement and portrait sessions, and I spent my day with some of the amazing women at the Delta Zeta house yesterday capturing professional head shot mini-sessions.  I have a mountain of editing to work on now, but I'm not complaining.  I love my job and I cannot wait to share the portraits I have captured this past week with you!  Be sure to check back soon!

Liz {Professional}

In September, I head to the University of Iowa's Delta Zeta house for Liz's professional head shot session.  I had the absolute pleasure of photography Liz's wedding last year and was thrilled when she contacted me again for her professional portraits as she begins her new career.  Liz is a recent Iowa graduate with a degree in law and is launching her own mediation firm.   The Delta Zeta house was a beautiful setting for her session.  It was a warm and inviting atmosphere with wonderful natural light.  I love photographing in natural light.  It

The Harmsen Family

Meet the Harmsens.  I had the pleasure of spending an evening session with this gorgeous family at their home just outside of Wellman in mid-September.  They have a beautiful property and I enjoyed finding some great spots for portraits there.  Their family was great to work with. 

Engagement Portraits {Why I Love Them}

Yesterday evening, I headed to Clear Lake, Iowa for Kenny and Erin's engagement session.  During the somewhat lengthy car ride home I was thinking about how much I love engagement sessions.  Engagement sessions are such a wonderful thing, not just for the couple to have amazing images to share with friends and family, announce their engagement in the paper, or to display at their wedding, but for me as well.  I get the opportunity to get to know the couple before the wedding day.  To know some tricks to get them to relax and smile or to know how they relax into each others arms.  For example, I learned today that apparently Kenny is a fan of knock-knock jokes.  I also learned I know very few good ones.  :)  This relationship is such a wonderful thing to build before the wedding.

Jason & Holly {Wedding}

Earlier this month, I headed to Cedar Falls to capture Holly and Jason's wedding.  Holly is from Iowa originally and decided to return home for her wedding.  She and Jason are both currently serving in the Air Force and are stationed on the East Coast.  I'm glad they had the wedding in Iowa, it was a beautiful event and I truly enjoyed capturing it. 

'Tis the Season

Despite my best plans, life happens.  The kids are back at school and germs are spreading.  I'm not a germ-a-phobe by any means, but I am a realist.  I knew we were going to get hit with something this year.  However, I didn't realize it would be so early in the season.  For the past week, our family has taken it in turns to be quite ill and that has put me a lot farther behind on editing, designing, blogging, and pretty much everything work related. 

Birthday Girl

 Guess who turned seven today!

Nick & Emily

 

At the end of June I assisted Greg Frieden Photography in capturing this beautiful day.  Nick and Emily were such a fun a loving couple.  Their day was filled with love: their strong love for each other, the love and support of their families, and the love for them that each wedding guest brought.  

Christian {Senior}

 Recently, Christian came into the studio for his senior session.  Christian is a drummer and basketball player.  It was fun incorporating his interests into his session.  After a short studio shoot, we headed around downtown Wellman and Wellman's South Park for some outdoor shots. 

The Miller Family

 I had a great time photographing the Miller family recently.  I headed out to their beautiful home in the country outside of Wellman again for their session.  It was another sunny day, but thankfully we were able to find some shade beneath the beautiful trees on their property. 

Autumn & Family

School has begun again and summer is winding to an end.  Sure, there is a little part of me that will miss being able to take the family to the beach and watch my girls splash around in the water, but I am so looking forward to fall.  I love autumn.  I love the colors.  I love the weather.  I love the smells.  Seriously, it is my favorite time of year.

Tanner {Three Years Old}

 

Seems impossible, but Tanner is three!  If you've been following my blog over the past few years you have seen this little guy grow.  I have been capturing moments in his life since he was an itty-bitty six month old.  Hard to believe he's three already.  How quickly time flies!

Teresa {Senior}

 

Recently, I headed out to Teresa's home in the country.  It is a beautiful location and loved photographing there.  I captured her sister's senior portraits a few years ago.  It was fun getting a chance to work with her family again.  The sun was bright and there were no clouds in the sky, but thankfully they have plenty of beautiful shade trees around their property.  Her outfit choices were very vibrant and fun.  I love how her portraits turned out. 

Scot & Allie {Wedding}

 

On July 20th, I headed to First United Methodist to begin capturing Scot and Allie's wedding day.  I love the large circular stained glass window above the alter in First United Methodist.  It is truly stunning set above their grand pipe organ.  It made for a beautiful setting for this wedding.  

The Pennington Family

 On a lovely evening at the beginning of July, I met with the Pennington family for their family portrait session.  They were a great family to work with. Their kids were energetic and playful, and the were excellent at following directions as I posed the family.  I think family portraits are so special.  My favorites are moments shared between them; the gentle kiss Dad gave Mom on the forehead, the bear hug the kids gave each other, and the moments beneath the willow tree when the kids were telling each other jokes.  These are such precious things and I am happy to have had the privilege of capturing them for this beautiful family.

Ryan & Kayla {Wedding}

                    

The first weekend in July, I had the privilege of capturing Ryan and Kayla's beautiful wedding day.  Their day started at Sts. Peter & Paul's Chapel in Solon.  It is a beautiful church set in the countryside.  Just behind the church are a couple rows of evergreen trees.  They created a gorgeous backdrop for their first look.  I know I've said it before, but I really do love first looks.  

Cecilia {3 Months Old}

 Meet the beautiful Cecilia.  At the end of June I had the pleasure of photographing the adorable little one.  She was amazing, truly a little model in the making.  She did great pushing herself up while on her tummy and had the most adorable little smile.  It was a joy to photograph her. 

Sophie {2 Years Old}

Things have been busy around the Geno Photography studio lately, so again I'm a little behind on sharing but I'm excited to share little Miss Sophie's two year portraits.  This little girl is the definition of adorable.  So cute with her beautiful blue eyes and soft golden curls. 

Jillian {Modeled Bridal Session}

 

I love the golden hour of the day.  During this modeled session with Jillian, it added to her glow and radiance.  I am in absolute love with how this session went.  For years, I have gone to visit a dear friend in the town of Clermont.  Clermont is a very small town and most people would not think of it as an amazing location for portraits, but I was drawn to shoot there.  Thankfully, Jillian was up for indulging my itch to photograph a bridal session there.

Landon {Newborn}

I love photographing newborns.  It always amazes me how tiny newborns are.  I've had two children myself, both of which were in the seven pound range, so I know newborns are tiny little peanuts, but there is something in me that is always in awe of just how small they are.  It is amazing.  

Garrett {18 Months}

Garrett and his big brother, Tanner, came into the studio recently for Garrett's 18 month session.  He was not at all interested in smiling for the camera or sitting still until I pulled out our little rocking chair.  He loved it as you can tell from his big smile in the picture above!  Too adorable! 

Vintage Romance {Styled Shoot}

I love, love, love how this styled shoot turned out.  The inspiration was vintage romance.  The colors were Tiffany blue, pale pink, ivory, and gold.  The outcome: GORGEOUS!  Not only were our models stunning in their beautiful gowns and tux, but the decor was amazing.  I expected nothing less though from wedding coordinator extraordinaire, Cynthia Betts of Special Events in Des Moines, and her amazing assistant, Peri Baldwin.  Their vision brought to life a stunning sweetheart table, sweets table, a truly unique escort card table, and an amazing outdoor lounge. 

Carter & Adria

 Recently, I met up in Iowa City with the adorable duo that is Carter and his little sis, Adria.  Seriously, these to are the definition of cute.  Our location of choice for the evening was the Iowa City Dog Park.  Sounds a little odd I'm sure, but the grassy field next to the dog park is a location I adore, beautiful tall grasses mixed with wildflowers, love it!  

Busy Week

I have spent the past week traveling all around Iowa for shoots.  I am loving the images from this week.  I've been photographing some adorable kids, a beautiful styled session, a tiny newborn, and bridal portraits.  So many great people and so many amazing locations.  I  cannot wait to share them with you!  Now, I'm off to hit the road again.  Be sure to check back next week for some fun images!

My Girls {Moments Together}

I am thankful my children don't run and hide whenever a camera is picked up.  They have each spent a lot of time in front of a camera since before they were born.  There are definitely days when I get the, "seriously, Mom? I have to smile for this?"  But, on the whole they embrace it.  In fact, today they requested their photos be taken.  How could I deny these sweet faces?

The Hatter's Tea

Last week, I head to Foster Woods to photograph this adorable Mad Hatter themed tea party.  In attendance were Alice, the Doormouse, the March Hare, and of course the Mad Hatter.  The girls had a ton of fun dressing up and enjoying tea and cupcakes.  I love how the photos turned out, so bright and sweet.

The Winekauf Family

This past week I headed up to Lake McBride to photograph the Winekauf family.  They are a gorgeous family and were a pleasure to work with.  Their son was home on a brief pass from his duties in the Air Force and we were able to seize the opportunity to capture some beautiful images of them all together.

Cassidy's Crochet Creations

This past winter, Cassidy from Cassidy's Crochet Creations was so kind to make these BEAUTIFUL, warm winter creations for my girls.  As soon as they saw them, my girls fell instantly in love.  In fact, it was hard for me to even get them to take them off to sleep!  They are super soft and warm.  The colors are gorgeous.  Seriously, it doesn't get any better.  To see more of Cassidy's Crochet Creations check them out on their Facebook page.

Wyatt {Newborn}

 In April, little Wyatt Glenn made his debut into the world.  I was so privileged to be able to capture these images of him when he was only 6 days old.  He is so tiny and so sweet.  Newborns are so precious.  It is mind blowing how quickly babies grown.  In their first year they make a huge transformation and celebrate so many firsts.  It is such a special thing to capture them during their first few days of life.  These are truly treasured moments in their lives and the lives of their family.

Our New & Improved Website!

As of late, I have been hard at work redesigning and updating the Geno Photography website.  Unfortunately, my blogging has not been getting done quite as often as I should, but I am so excited about how the new website is turning out.  After many, many hours of work designing it, I am getting so close to being able to launch it.  If you're a regular follower of our blog, you may notice a few changes here.  They are just a sneak peek of what is to come.  Check back soon to see all of the amazing updates!

The Miller Family

The Miller family recently came into the studio for their family portrait session.  They are such a beautiful family.  Their girls did so well during the session, little supermodels in the making!

Alivia {Rock the Dress}

Last week, I had the opportunity to capture Alivia rocking her prom dress.  We started our session at the Levitt Center in Iowa City.  I love the lighting in the Levitt Center.  It is simply filled with gorgeous natural light which was perfect to capture portraits of this stunning girl.

Mary Beth {Maternity}

I love maternity sessions.  There is nothing more beautiful than the glow of a mommy to be.  Whether it's her first or fifth child, there is still a radiance about her. 

Recently, in the midst of this weather's flip flop between spring and winter, we had the perfect snow for portraits and Mary Beth seized the moment to capture her maternity portraits.  The ground was completely clear from snow the evening before, but by the time noon rolled around the next day a beautiful clean powder of snow had covered the ground.  The air was filled with gorgeous fluffy flakes of snow.  It was truly the perfect setting for this winter loving mommy to be!

Vintage Furniture

 

I've been having a lot of fun shopping for some new chairs for the studio.  I love the new vintage chair and couch we just added to the studio.  The couch is made from gorgeous green crushed velvet.  Super fun and funky!  The chair is upholstered with blue velvet and has intricately carved wooden arms and legs that have been painted a pale green-blue hue.  So gorgeous!

The IMU Bridal Event

I would like to take a moment to thank all the brides and grooms who came out to the IMU Bridal Event hosted by Weddings In Iowa this past Sunday.  I talked to so many beautiful brides who sounded so excited as they worked on planning their big day.  I know I've said it before many times, but it is SO true: I love my job! 

Jim & Sheila {Newlyweds}

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of capturing wedding portraits for Jim and Sheila.  Jim and Sheila said their "I do's" during a small ceremony on the sunny beaches of Mexico at the end of January.  When they returned to Iowa, they held a reception at the gorgeous Coralville Marriott to celebrate with their friends and family. 

Class of 2014 it's your time to shine!

Zephyr Weddings {Vendor Spotlight}

 If you haven't already checked out Zephyr Weddings' newly remodeled studio on the Coralville Strip you should!  Their studio is filled with amazing examples of wedding invitations, place cards, and any paper product you could dream of for your wedding.  There are also a ton of excellent wedding vendor displays for you to take a look at: photographers, DJ services, videographer, florists, wedding coordinators, and much more.  If you are planning a wedding, this is one stop you'll be so happy you made.  The Zephyr staff is amazing and will help all of your wedding dreams come true!

The Henke Cousins

 

 Last weekend, this adorable quartet of cousins came into the studio.  I have been photographing the two older cousins for three years now.  It is so fun to see how much they've grown each time they come back into the studio.  They are so sweet.  I loved getting to meet their new cousins as well.  I am truly honored to be invited into the lives of families and chronicle their lives.  It is one of my favorite parts of my job.  I can't wait to see how much they've grown by the next time they come into the studio.

Ryan & Kayla {Engaged}

Ryan and Kayla were so much fun to photograph during their recent engagement session.  We started our session at a new location I've been dying to try, the University of Iowa Levitt Center.  Seriously, this location is gorgeous; so much natural light and beautiful architectural details.  Love it.  The best thing is, since it's a very white location, the beauty of it doesn't distract for the subject of the photograph.  Ryan and Kayla had so many great interactions and were naturals in front of the camera.  It made my job so easy and fun.

Alexis {Newborn}

Recently, Julie and Brian were in the studio for their maternity session.  I always tell mommies-to-be to be sure to schedule your maternity portraits when you are around 37 weeks, because after that point baby may decide to make their debut at any time.  We were very fortunate to have scheduled Julie's session when we did.  Just a few days later, Alexis decided it was time to make her grand entrance.