k. holly photography :: the blog » Families & Kids

{ Genevieve :: baby adorableness }

Kristen — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:54:26 +0000

Awww, sweet baby girl! I want to hug her and kiss those tiny toes again! Little Genevieve was about 3 months old here for her baby & family lifestyle session. She is dainty and perfectly girly in every way, and full of personality already. Jacky and Erik are the happy new parents, blessed with this adorable baby girl. Jacky is such an amazing mama, and Erik is one of the cutest daddies ever! He sure loves his girls. J+E, we are so happy for you!! :)

Baby legs! Baby toes! Eeeek!!

Oh sweet girl, you are the cutest!

So glamorous! Hee :)

Aaaaaand… out.

Love this series with daddy & mama. Love.

{ heart bursting!! }

Congratulations again, she is beautiful!!

{ Happy Halloween! }

Kristen — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:28:34 +0000

Happy Halloween from the cutest monkey around! :)

{ Violet :: One Year }

Kristen — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:19:23 +0000

Violet is one! She’s cuter than ever with those pretty blue eyes and sweet smile. And she just started walking!! Perfect timing for our session, I love watching the little ones learn and explore! Happy birthday Miss Violet! :)

{ Jack :: One Year! }

Kristen — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:23:31 +0000

Its hard to believe its been 8 months since Jack’s last session! Time sure flies :) Happy birthday little man! Look how much this adorable little guy has grown! I know I’m not the only one in love with those curls!!

Handsome boy!

Awww :) Good marriage = happy parents = happy family!

How you know when the session is over:

Love you guys!! Thanks for a wonderful evening!

{ Orin :: 9 months }

Kristen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:45:30 +0000

Remember this little cutie from his newborn session? He’s growing up and looks quite a bit different now, but still has those beautiful eyes and perfect little chin that I’m crazy for! I love watching his personality come through in his funny expressions – he’s a total goofball, yet such a snuggly sweetheart!

SO handsome!

Juan and Kristen too! They are such fun parents, you can tell they’re loving every minute of it!

One of Orin’s favorite things to do is look through his photo albums, so Kristen brought them along. Adorable!

And of course, we couldn’t end our session without going out in the snow! I love kids in hats with ears. I don’t know why, it’s my weakness.

Orin was lookin’ too cool in his biker jacket and boots!

Orin, you crack me up!! Kristen & Juan, thank you for the fun!! Love you all! Muah!!

{ Little Violet :: 6 months }

Kristen — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:10:58 +0000

I adore little miss Violet – her bright blue eyes have a way of capturing your heart at first sight! She is full of sweet adorableness, and was such a pleasure to photograph! It’s not often I shoot in a studio setting, but it was a fun and refreshing change on this snowy Michigan afternoon. Going through her pictures, I kept catching myself smiling, awww-ing, and giggling at the outtakes. I think I need to photograph the little ones more often :)

Does she have you by the heart yet? Thought so :)

Her lovely mama Kerri and daddy Brett

{ love families! }

Seriously, I’m pretty sure she couldn’t be any cuter!

It was pretty cold out, but we took just a couple frames on our way out. Couldn’t resist those snowflakes!

You’re adorable, baby girl!! Kerri and Brett, thank you for a wonderful afternoon! Looking forward to seeing you again for her one-year!!

{ Holiday Girls }

Kristen — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:18:49 +0000

Tis the season for happiness, joy, family… and perfect little red dresses! These adorable sisters were all excited and bouncing around when I arrived, ready for picture time. Cute smiles, sisterly hugs, and a fresh light snow were the most delightful little mix. Happy Holidays from Justine and Nina!

Catching snow!

You girls are too cute!! Have a wonderful Christmas :)

{ Holli and Jake :: Engaged! }

Kristen — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 02:07:51 +0000

I just love engagement sessions. They’re such a great way for us to get to know our couples! Know what I love even more? When they bring their adorable kiddos along! We met Holli and Jake out on a sunny fall afternoon, along with their cutie-pie daughter Aislynn. Before shooting with just the two of them, we started with a fun and bright family session with all three. I love how Holli styled their outfits – absolute perfection! Are they a gorgeous family, or what? I can’t wait to see Aislynn all dolled up for the wedding!

I love how they make each other laugh. They kept the entire session playful, even between steamy takes!

Those boots and black lace… so fierce!!

Holli and Jake, we had such a great time with you three! We are very much looking forward to your winter wedding, coming up so soon!!

{ Little Jack and Family }

Kristen — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 16:46:56 +0000

I love little Jack! He’s about 4 1/2 months old, and all kinds of cute! We met on a gorgeous fall afternoon in Grand Rapids for a family lifestyle session. Their session was a baby gift from a bride of mine, the beautiful and amazing Lander. She called to tell me about Jack, and offered to give them a family session as a gift. I thought that was SO sweet and thoughtful! Christina and Josh are wonderful people, and I love their little family. They even brought their Golden Retriever, Bailey along! I just love sessions like this. In Landers words, they make my heart all sparkly :)

Aww, nothing like a mama and her baby boy. Adore these! :)

I’m crazy for this black & white picture of Josh and Jack. Love. It!

Bailey!!

They wanted just a couple with just the two of them, I thought that was SO sweet! You guys are the cutest!

Eek! Heart… melting…

Congratulations again on your little one! Much love to you! :)k

{ godspeed little angel, sweet dreams }

Kristen — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 16:04:20 +0000

My blog is typically a very happy little place, full of love and light. I see my clients on their best days, the happiest days. We try to keep our own lives this way too, staying positive, finding beauty in the little things, savoring sweet little moments of happiness. But life is… well, it’s life. It’s never perfect, and it’s always changing. There is sadness and pain, loss and heartbreak. Which makes these moments all the more beautiful, even though they can break our hearts, and bring us to our knees.

A few weeks ago, I was in Minnesota visiting my friends and family. While there, I photographed a family session with our friends Dave and Tiffany, and their children, Max (2) and Ellie (9 months). We were all so glad we were able to work the session into our busy schedules, and that we had such a beautiful day and happy kiddos. You may have seen it on the blog last week. I never, in a million years, thought I’d be following it up with this post, just a week later.

Early this week, Ellie came down with a high fever. They brought her in, but the fever was too much for her, and an infection spread quickly. On Tuesday morning, little Ellie left us on angel’s wings. Their lives turned upside down, Dave and Tiffany held their tiny daughter’s funeral yesterday morning.

Having been out of the country, we had no internet or phone access. We found out as we were going through customs and security in Houston on our way home late Tuesday night. We had a few jumbled voicemails from friends, but none of it made sense. Just as we were passing the phone back and forth trying to decipher the messages, the phone rang. It was Dave, with a tired, cracking voice. He confirmed what we feared. We both let our bags fall to the busy airport hallway floor, and stood still, looking at each other with quivering chins and glassy eyes. Grasping for words, we offered our condolences, asked Dave what we could do, if there was anything they needed. Dave thanked us, his voice cracked again, and he asked if they could get a few images from their session for her casket, and for the service. I said of course, shook my head, and expressed again how glad I was that we made time for the session, especially now. With a deep breath and a heavy sigh he said, that makes a lot of us.

I don’t want to make this into a big “photography is so important” post, but I can’t help but feel the weight. I already know that what I do is important, I was reminded of it last year when my friend Danielle lost her husband. I had done a session with them and their two young girls, and the images that those girls have with their Daddy will be cherished forever. Same here, Dave, Tiff and Max will have this collection of images with Ellie that they will treasure. Something they can look back to when she’s on their minds, something to remind them of the wonderful, happy days they had with her.

As photographers, we need to remember the weight of what we do. We’re not just trying to get the most awesome shot, or that hot new pose, or that sweet new lighting trick. As lifestyle and wedding photographers, we are capturing real life. Real people, real families, real love. We are freezing these fleeting moments, and saving them to be cherished later, for years and generations to come. We’re not just shooting for our blogs, or for facebook, or for that kickass new website template we have our eye on. We are shooting for our clients. We are capturing this moment, this emotion, this family, as it is right now.

Dave, Tiffany and Max, you have been on my mind, and heavy in my heart this week. I have hot tears rolling down my cheeks for you as I type this. We regret that we couldn’t be there for the service, but know that we were with you in spirit. We continue to pray for you and your families, that God will be with you in the days to come.

Ellie, godspeed little angel, and sweet dreams~

{ Max and Ellie :: Family Love! }

Kristen — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 03:00:45 +0000

Omigoodness, they are SO cute!! I LOVE this family! Tiffany and Dave are friends of ours from college, so I was SO glad we were able to sneak in time for a session during my last visit home to Minnesota! You might remember little Max – he starred on the blog when he was just a teeny little guy! Now here he is, a big brother to the very lovely miss Ellie! We spent this beautiful fall evening at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska. I loved seeing them all enjoying each other’s company, and the gorgeous day. It makes me happy just to look at these!

Eeee! Ellie is SO cute!

And Max – getting more and more handsome. I love watching him explore ~

Daddy’s dimples!!

Love you four! Thank you for a perfect day :)

{ Kalin :: One Year! }

Kristen — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:17:56 +0000

Remember this little cutie? I got to shoot his newborn and 6 month pictures too! I said it last time too, but it is SO fun to watch him grow. To watch his personality develop, watch his curiosity spark when he’s exploring a new place, and watching his parents become even more amazing. Laura and Matt, you have a very smart and handsome young man on your hands! We had a wonderful time exploring the neighborhood with you three!

Kalin, happy birthday little man :) You are WAY too cute!!

And because Mom & Dad need a few sweet and romantic pics too… :)

We love you three!! xoxo, Kristen & Jamie

{ Millie :: Little Cutie! }

Kristen — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:35:44 +0000

I am SO very excited to introduce Millie! If you’ve been a long-time blog reader, you just might recognize her parents – they were the third wedding I ever photographed! The THIRD! (Want to see it? It’s right here! Excuse the weird formatting and logo – things have changed a bit in the last couple years!) I am so happy for Colette and Matt; they just celebrated their two year anniversary on August 9th, and their baby girl will be a year old this winter. I absolutely love them as a new little family. They live in Massachusetts, but planned a trip to Michigan for a few days to visit their families. I am so glad we were able to get together while they were here! It was awesome to catch up, and of course, to meet little Millie! Is she adorable in her Burberry dress or what? Those eyes, that smile, that hair!! Eeee! :)

Jamie had shot their wedding with me, so I brought him along to their baby session as well. It was fun for all of us to catch up. Millie was glad he came too… she was enamored, and kept giving him these cute flirty little looks. It was SO cute!!

Yup, she’s looking at Jamie in this one too!

I love this one – her hair is all wild and beautiful, and I love how she’s studying the grass. She’s not sure if she likes it touching her skin…

Gah, she’s SO cute! I can’t get over it :)

Colette and Matt, we are SO happy for you!! It was wonderful to see you, thank you for fitting us into your trip home!

{ Little Kalin :: 6 Months! }

Kristen — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:55:58 +0000

I am so excited to blog this! Remember cutie-pie little Kalin from his newborn session? He’s growing SO fast! It’s so fun to see his curiosity and personality coming through, his facial features, and of course his adorable expressions! Laura and Matt are such great parents, and Kalin is SUCH a cool little dude! We had a great time at his 6-month session, it reminded me of how much I love baby photography!

Daddy’s tie, too cute!

Excuse me, Miss Lexi? This is not your photo shoot, as much as you would like it to be :)

Eee! He is such a happy kid, and they are such a happy family. It makes my heart smile just to know them :)

Toes!

This was his first time standing in the snow – documented! He wasn’t sure what to think about that cold, soft stuff!

Awww :) I love you guys!!!

{ Noah and Emery }

Kristen — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:01:55 +0000

I love doing sessions with friends!! Lindsay and Andy asked me to do a fun family session this fall, and I was over-the-moon excited for it. We decided on one of my favorite orchards, and we were blessed with a beautiful day with incredible light! I brought along the basket I used for Noah’s 6-month session… two years ago! Noah was my first baby session ever, using a studio setup that I quickly got rid of. I am SO not a traditional studio photographer… Gimme that gorgeous sunlight!

Oh! Did I mention that Noah is now a big brother? Meet little miss Emery and their whole adorable family! They are definitely a couple of supercute, happy kids :)

A little fall magic ~

Okay, maybe not exactly magic… but you gotta love Noah’s faces!

Speaking of magic… how about a little bubble wizardry?

I adore this one of Lindsay and Emery. Love it love it~

So fun! Thanks Lindsay and Andy! Have a wonderful holiday :)

Kiahn { one year! }

Kristen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:26:17 +0000

Little Kiahn is almost one! You might remember him from last year, I photographed his birth story on November 26th. In preparation for his upcoming first birthday celebration, I met up with Ann and Steve to photograph Kiahn in his traditional Korean birthday clothing, and for a fall family session. I think he looks like a little king, which of course, he absolutely is. :)

Family time!

And pupper Jazzy too!

Speaking of Jazzy… he was SO trying to steal the show! I didn’t mind, he’s stinkin’ CUTE!

How can you resist this face, seriously?!

Okay, back on task… to the park! Kiahn is juuuuust learning to stand and walk!

Thank you Ann and Steve! It was wonderful to spend the day with you! Looking forward to the celebration!

{ Wren and Ella :: Orchard Loveliness! }

Kristen — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:29:41 +0000

Last time I saw this wonderful family was for Deb’s belly/family session a few months ago. I was so happy to see them again, especially with their new little addition – the lovely baby Wren! Like her sister Ella, she is absolutely beautiful and full of spirit. We met at my new favorite orchard on a perfect fall afternoon. The light was perfect, the sun kept us warm, and we enjoyed each other’s company. Another one of those wonderful sessions that left me all happy and glowy inside :)

I adore this one – sisters!

Cute lil punkin! :)

Someone’s been practicing her model look! Smiling with her eyes! ;)

But I kinda prefer this, a real, cute giggly smile :)

It was so good to see you guys again! Thank you for such a nice afternoon, can’t wait for next time! :)k

{ Playing in the Rain }

Kristen — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:05:43 +0000

You might remember these cuties from last year – we did a session back in spring ’08. They were one of my first family sessions that spring, on my old blog. Then, another first – I photographed the birth of their youngest, little Jamison on October 7th of last year. That experience still sticks with me, reminds me of what a miracle life is, and what a gift we as photographers can give to another family.

Now here they are a year later, this big happy cozy family of six! It was so fun to meet up with them again and spend the afternoon with the kids, stomping around in the rain and twirling umbrellas. We all got wet and muddy, but laughed all the way through. I think it’s good for the soul to get wet and muddy every now and then. Don’t you think? :)

Fierce poses! Omigosh, I could barely stand it! Yes!! :)

I always like to get a few individuals of the kids, especially when they’re this cute!

This is Malikai:

The adorable Tiler:

Bennett, who has grown up SO much since last time!

And lovely little Jamison, just a year old!

And mom too!

Rockin’ out those fierce poses!

I love this one – it reminds me of a mama duck with her little chicks tottering behind. :)

We’re not scared of rain. Nope, nope.

We’re not even bothered by rain on our glasses :)

Daddy too!

Awww <3

Thanks for a fun day, guys! You’re awesome. Happy Fall Everyone! :)k