Margo | Maternity

  • May 2, 2012 1:32 pm

You may remember Margo from her trash the dress session last year! She was a gorgeous bride and now she’s an even more gorgeous Mommy-to-be!!!  When we scheduled her session we thought that we had plenty of time before there would be any hint at labor….we were wrong!  A few days before our session it became pretty clear that she would be having her baby early!  I was a little paranoid that she’d go into labor during our session…but I realized it’d be okay since her hubby is a doctor and all!  :) We had nearly perfect weather and it was a great session!  I had a wonderful time with Margo and Ryan and I can’t wait to come over and photograph their adorable baby boy!!!  Here are some of my favs from the session….Enjoy!

Their eldest daughter Zoe wanted in on the photo shoot!!! She's going to be a great big sister! :)

Isn't the baby's room adorable???

Even though she said she felt huge, I think Margo had the perfect baby bump!!!

Margo's such a fierce, fashionable mamma!!!

Ciara and Ken | Engagement

  • March 21, 2012 1:02 pm

Planning a wedding a is hard. Planning a wedding when you live 1000 miles away is what some would call next to impossible, but Ciara and Ken aren’t only doing it…they’re doing it well! We met for their engagement session on one of like 3 weekends they’d be in town before their wedding this summer. Now had they been a normal, in town couple I probably would have suggested we cancel their session for the day we had it scheduled. The weather was a mess: it was freezing, there were 30mph wind gusts….just dreadful picture weather!!! But we made it work and I’m so glad we did! Ciara and Ken were such troopers and we got some really great shots despite Mother Nature’s bad attitude! Here are a few of my favs from their engagement session….enjoy!

Ciara's dad created these awesome wooden cut outs for the engagement session!!

Aren't they cute?????

Love this one!!!!!

Bergamo Family | Family Session

  • March 5, 2012 10:36 am

When I think about my future life…with kids and such, I hope it looks half asawesome as the Bergamo family!!!!! They are totally amazing fun parents who are so obviously still in love with each other. Combine that with a rambunctious, free spirited son and a little blonde, sassy-pants  aughter and what you have (other than your hands full) is one of the coolest families I’ve had the pleasure to work with! I had THE BEST time with them at Raccoon River Park! I really hope that I get to do their family pics again next year….I cannot wait to see how these kids grow up!!!  Here are some of my many favs from their session….enjoy!!!!

How adorable is this family?????

I hope these kids never grow out of the 'best friends' stage!!!

Can you tell they are Iowa fans??? ;)

I LOVE this one!!!

Awwww....a little Mom and Dad time!!!

Paige and Kalvin | Family Session

  • February 16, 2012 8:54 am

Paige and Kalvin were not some of my wedding clients…they were pseudo-newlyweds referred to me to do some family shots. Turns out they didn’t really have any images of them other than their wedding pics….and it’s probably weird to use your wedding pictures as every Christmas card photo until you have kids! :) So we met at Water Works Park to shoot some images of them in clothes more suited for holiday greetings! Now I hope that all of my wedding clients end up just like Paige and Kalvin! They’ve been married a little over a year but they still have that ‘just married’ glow! They are adorable together and seem to have adjusted just perfectly to married life. Plus they have an awesome four-legged adopted fur-baby….and I’m a sucker for other weirdos amazing people that treat their dogs like human children! After Water Works we headed downtown for some more pics and wardrobe changes. Here are a few of my favorite images from their cute little family….enjoy!

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

I mean is that not the cutest family you've ever seen????

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

love this one!!!

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie and Josh | Engagement

  • December 6, 2011 11:39 am

I get blessed with the absolute coolest clients!  Now, this is either because I’m super cool myself and coolness attracts coolness….or, because the powers that be think that by sending me super cool clients I might learn something, thus upping my cool quotient.  My guess is it’s the latter and that Katie and Josh were sent to me because specifically because they are so, super, super cool.  I mean they got engaged in Vegas which I think is about the coolest thing ever!  And they only wanted to shoot downtown which meant that I got to go to some of my favorite urban locations!  Plus Katie wore these amazing leopard heels that she bought in Vegas….beyond cool.  I had the best time with Katie and Josh and I cannot wait to see how unbelievably cool their wedding will be!!!  Here are a few of my many, many favs from their session….enjoy!  

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

I love this couple!!!!

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

one of my favs!!!!

crazy awesome shoes right?!?!?!?!?!

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

how adorable are they together????

Katie McDonald Photography

we went to some sketchy areas during our session and we found this...I think it's an omen of a very fun reception and a long happy marriage! : )

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

such.a.cool.couple!

Bruenek Family | Portraits

  • November 10, 2011 4:23 pm

I wear black boots and jeans to almost all my family and engagement sessions….I walk through some pretty grimy areas in order to get some of my shots, so boots are a must!  Who would have ever thought that wearing black boots would have been the key to eternal friendship with a three-year old little girl!  As soon and the Bruenek family got out of their car for our session their little girl said “Oh…you have boots like me” and pointed to her tiny black Uggs!  From that moment on we were bffs!  Now, like their three-year old, the rest of the family was totally and completely awesome!!!  I had soooo much fun with them!  I can’t wait until next fall when we do their family pictures again!  I am very eager to see how these kids grow up!!!  Mom and Dad- you’re gonna have your hands full I think! ; )  Here are my favs from their session at Water Works park…..enjoy!!!  

How cute is this mother/daughter combo???

Ummmm....maybe the cutest family ever???? Yeah, I think so!

One happy little IOWA fan family!!!

Since mom and dad hadn't had pictures done in, well, a while....we gave them some alone time!!!

I LOVE THIS ONE!!!!!

We took a break to play in the leaves!!

Yeah....mom and dad stil got it!!!!

HA!!! Dad was using the whole "so and so has stinky feet" line to get her to smile. When he implied that I had stinky feet, she was appalled at the thought! So much loyalty and sass in such a tiny person!

Jessica and Chris | Engagement

  • October 17, 2011 2:35 pm

Jessica and Chris were referred to me by my dear friends and clients Mark and Amber.  Now since they were a referral from Mark and Amber I knew that we’d be a good match right away, because let’s face it…Mark and Amber wouldn’t send me someone lame!  : )  And I was right, Jessica and Chris were awesome!!  I had so much fun shooting their session that I was a little bummed when the sun totally set and the session was over!  Jessica is a girl after my own heart…she wears adorable clothes (even if her fiancé doesn’t quite ‘get’ them, she blog stalks, brought a gazillion wardrobe choices and created props for their pictures!!!  Oh my….I just LOVE me a prop!!!! : ) And the best part of everything was that Chris just went with the flow, he was sooo laid back…apparently he’s already learned “Happy wife, happy life”!!!!  They are for sure destined for marital bliss!!!  Here are a few of my favs from their session!!!  Enjoy!!!

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

We snuck into an open garage to take advantage of some great natural light!!!

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

How cute is Jessica's Save-the-Date idea???

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

LOVE this!!!

Katie McDonald Photography

Jessica brought this fab chair with her....I think it fit just perfectly with the sunset and the amazing grasses!

Katie McDonald Photography

Shut it down Jessica....you're too gorgeous!!! : )

Katie McDonald Photography

Katie McDonald Photography

Chris and Jessica are huge Chiefs fans....I think it was a good omen that they won on the day of their session!!!

Katie McDonald Photography

Could they be cuter????

Katie McDonald Photography

I just loved their picnic props!!!

Natalie | Newborn

  • June 1, 2011 5:37 am

Natalie is a simply awesome baby: she’s super cute, a great snuggler and has a head of hair soooooo luxurious, most grown women would be jealous!  Even though she wasn’t too sure she wanted to have her picture taken she humored me and let me get a few great shots!  Here are some of my favs of this future beauty queen! Enjoy!!!

newborn

newborn

newborn

newborn

the many faces of Natalie!!!!!

newborn

newborn

Colton| Portrait Session

  • April 9, 2011 2:14 pm

So if you and I have ever had a conversation, it’s pretty obvious I’m not from around here!  I have an accent (though it’s getting better the longer I’m in Iowa) that is unmistakably southern!  I grew up in Kentucky and only moved here after my husband Brandon started his job with John Deere.  Last week I decided to take a couple days and fly home before my wedding season gets into full swing and I don’t have time to see my fam until the holidays.  I was able to shoot some images around the University of Kentucky campus and had some head shots done of me (weird) which I will hopefully post later this week! 

But right now I want to share some images I shot of Colton….who is maybe the cutest kid I’ve ever seen!!!  I may be a little partial because I’ve been friends with his mom, Erin, since we were literally in pre-school…yeah, like forever!  But still, he’s pretty cute!  He is three and he is basically the size of a six year old; I’m pretty sure that UK has already created a scouting report on this kid…. Ummmm Josh Harrelson who? Anyway… we started this session on Erin’s dad’s farm (which made me SUPER nostalgic because it’s where I spent the majority of my childhood) and ended at a local baseball diamond! 

Friends and Family of Colton can view his entire session here: http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/store.aspx?p=53596

round bale

Colton with stick

Okay...this image was a total outtake! To appease Colton between posing we let him play with this random stick he found and he loved it! It was just so him and so dang cute I just couldn’t delete it!

My fav of the day!!!

Home run!!!!

Home run......aaaaannndd he's SAFE!!!!

so cute, right????

Musical Edge | Promo Pics

  • March 30, 2011 10:24 pm

Last weekend I did three things: watched my Kentucky Wildcats beat North Carolina and advance to their first Final Four since 1998, threw my back out while putting in my contacts and shot some promo pics for the always awesome Musical Edge DJ Service….yup, in that order!  Now that my back is on the mend (three chiropractic visits later) I thought I’d share some of Musical Edge’s images!!!

Musical Edge group

Musical Edge DJs

The awesome DJs of Musical Edge

Musical Edge

Ummmm....could they be cooler? Nope!