Check out this fun family video Max Monahan put together!  Click Here to watch the adorable Crist family slideshow!…

I am so excited to announce this new book! It’s fresh, it’s fun, it’s whimsy, and I think you will really like it!  This book is great for a fun family or kids session. It has a lot of character and will show off your photos perfectly.  Here are some sample pages I put together of some recent families!  love love love…

very random photo…but she makes me happy!  my little Presly and kitten that our neighbor miss Ali rescued a couple weeks ago….

my good friends…..Meghan and Matt’s wedding featured on The Knot Wedding Channel as wedding of the day!

and there is a new blog in our town called  Hitched - planning a wedding in Sun Valley……go check it out brides-to-be trying to plan a fabulous wedding here! They featured another wonderful and long time friend of mine Luke and Lydia’s wedding from last summer…

and here is a sneak peek of Colleen and Jack’s wedding on Saturday…another amazing and a beautiful local couple here from Sun Valley! Their wedding was held at a private residence on Lake Creek Dr.  can’t wait to share so much more from their wedding!

Hillary…XOXO

I really needed this break to go camping with the family and some good friends over the weekend. I am back to work and I promise to return your emails and phone calls this week (:

Meet Presly’s best friend Skylar. We call them the twins…born 1 day apart and both butterfly whispers (;

this photo makes me happy. Presly takes her S’mores very seriously and Sky with her butterfly container, marshmallow stick, head lamp and just an awesome little camper….

Sky’s parents Deida, Duane and their dog Whiskey…

Mike, Rhiana, and their good boy Pete….

my boys…I love you….

fishing…it’s what they do….

Presly is just like her daddy…

…but she has my game face and freckles….

seriously….so cute!

fly fishing knot tips by JC around the campfire….

and the girls are off again catching bugs and butterflies….

this is what it’s all about…playing hard and getting dirty!

tired hunting dog Pete, in back of his truck for the night…

I love this picture of Buddy and Presly completely exhausted and happy….good times for sure over the weekend!

XOXO

…when I was driving home past our closed golf course yesterday - the glow was amazing!  So I grabbed Presly, Buddy, my neighbor Keely and her little miss 11 month old Kaya, threw on some dresses, and we ran over there before the clouds came back (yes it’s still dark and rainy here, but soooooooo green!) It was a quick and fun 10 minute spring-time-in-the-sun-session  (:

Kaya’s first time sitting on grass with lot’s of dandelions….

Presly + Buddy = best friends forever….

Presly’s 8 seconds are up…”ye-haw”….

XOXO

– it was an AMAZING wedding — I have so much more to share from Travis and Lauren’s incredible day VERY SOON!

I love love love Sun Valley,  but our weather and forecast is cold here and still snowing for the next 10 days.  This is why I want to specialize in destination weddings… warm weather,  incredible people,  beautiful tropical colors with fabulous light!!!   — happy me at the rehearsal dinner 2 days ago….

XOXO

I only offer digital images for my clients now.  They are in complete creative control getting their photos framed from any company they love and how they will use their images!  I came across Dragon Fly Frames and wanted to give everyone a heads about this company and design your own frames to fit your style and home!

Okay you photographers who send me emails asking about my post-processing — you will LOVE this DVD tutorial from a photographer that has a similar stlye of color pop that I love!!  Uno is a one hour photoshop tutorial by Lauren Clark.  It is filmed with a screen shot program so that you will see, up close, what Lauren does in Photoshop. It’s like a mini seminar on photoshop with no secret left untold that you can view over, and over, and over again! If you have CS Photoshop and some basic knowledge using it — this is a must!!! She covers Bridge, actions, retouching, liquifying, her secret actions to make color pop — she is also super cool lady and photographer!

I LOVE to cook and use simple and tasty ingredents.  I eat anything, but Presly has your typical 4 year old palate,  and Mark is like feeding a 4 year old at times too, (he likes his man food + beer).   BakedBree.com is my new inspirational blog for simple summer time treats and meals — she also is a wonderful photographer  (I need photos of what it’s supposed to look like when I am finished).  Here are 2 recipes I just recently made….

I love to wear necklaces and I LOVE this handmade jewelery website by Lisa Leonard.com I have 2 of her necklaces — one that’s custom with Presly’s name,  and one I wear when I am shooting weddings…

My HAPPY place for color and ideas for my home and studio.  Jonathon makes you believe that your home should make you happy and minimalism is a bummer. — he makes me smile and be inspired to go for it!

- here is a new wedding blog I really like called Every Last Detail Blog! and we just had Katy and Doug’s engagement photos posted on….

Things have been a bit slow for photo sessions because of all the rain we have been having.  I wanted to let you know we are going to Mexico to photograph Lauren and Travis’s wedding and have another little vacation time.  I will be back in the office next Tuesday.  Have a wonderful week and there will be some AWESOME  events/sessions to blog in the coming weeks… stay tuned — XOXO

Wedding digital photography has been so fast and furious with so many changes, ideas, and competition of wonderful photographers - so I have been trying new things to stand out. Photography will always be my profession, but I want tell our clients’ complete story with VIDEO, audio, and photos! So here is our first ‘mini video’ attempt that we did of my good friend Meghan and Matt’s wedding. It’s just a small teaser of her getting ready with her girls (definitely will be using a second photographer for the rest of the day not to miss a thing!) Please check it out and let me know what you think, I’m pretty pumped on this! XOXO

My mom is SUPER TERRIFIC — she had my twin brother Billy and I  “double trouble”  is what we were growing up,  and liked to call us.   Our mom is always there for us and we will always need her!

Mom you are wonderful for advice, witty, hilarious and always really great for a laugh,  you are determined and a stubborn Taurus,  so generous,  (she bought me my first digital SLR camera and laptop when I wanted to seriously be a professional.  She didn’t have a lot of money,  but always said to me  “you do what you have to do to make it happen” also “spend money to make money”  these are still my sayings every time I am afraid to take a chance!),  the best cook I have ever known,  you make everyone around feel happy and care,  super fun to go shopping with,  drink wine and talk about men,  I always can count on you for an amusing blog post,  watch dancing with the stars or some type of romantic hallmark movie,  rearrange the furniture around your condo,  go through ALL our photo albums when we visit (my mom is the real photographer in our family, she says,  “I am the one with the passion,  you are the one with the talent”).

Seriously mom THANK YOU for all that you do!  We can’t wait to see you soon,  we all really miss you,  and hope you know how much we LOVE YOU!!!!

Every time I ask my mom what she wants for a gift,  it’s always  “make me something,  a good book,  or photographs.”  I asked Presly what she wanted to do for Mother’s Day — “plant flowers for Grandma, mommy, and auntie Sam”  (her gardening muse).  Of course I photographed it for us….

she thought it was cute to throw some dirt at mom…

spring Monarch butterflies and kisses…

Presly you are adorable, I love you, and so thankful you are my funny-beautiful little monkey!   and Mom THANK YOU for being you and FABULOUS!  Lot’s of love, hugs, and kisses from Presly, me, Mark, and Buddy — XOXO

p.s. Happy Mother’s Day to all you AMAZING mommies too!!

Get ready for lot’s of color and pretty little princesses!  It was such a fun party, Presly had the best time!  I can’t THANK miss Deida enough (owner of Petite Picasso) for all her amazing and talented help!!  If your little monkey is having a birthday coming up — I HIGHLY recommend you have it here!  Deida has theme party packages:  Princess Party, Pinkalicious Party, Fancy Nancy Party, Cowgirl/boy Party, Tea Party, Pirate Party,   click HERE for more info!

I can’t believe she is 4!!  She is the light of our lives — happy birthday my sweet little triple P,   ‘perfect princess presly’ — XOXO

Yes,  I went a little excessive… don’t judge me……it was FUN!

your ADORABLE!

presly’s ladies…

miss Brielle — we are so thrilled Presly has you as her BF,  you are always the life of the party!

making jewelry and tiara’s — were the sparkling, fun crafts….

miss Deida is also an artist herself….

seriously…good-times!

this photo makes me laugh!  These expressions on the princesses  — are priceless,   and my Kodak Moment!

Click HERE to watch the slide show (click on bottom right HQ to watch in hi-def)….

I can’t believe our baby girl is 4!  It has been so much fun watching her grow up into this little adorable person.  Presly is fun to talk too, play jokes with, hide and seek, watch princess movies, tickle monster, and now she can talk about feelings - happy and sad.  She has become so smart and clever, makes us laugh, and can BE very challenging,  at times make us crazy-frustrated-discouraged to discipline!  But then,  she can completely melt our hearts with her kindness and sweetness.

Presly has come into this world as her own person.  I want to control everything, and everything she does, and everything that can happen to her in this world. We try our best to build a strong foundation, respect, and be good role models to her.  We do our best to protect her – from the negative ones. Presly makes us laugh, she makes us dance and sing,  she makes us proud, she can also be soooooooo stubborn at times!  Yes,  she has humbled us, made us fight, we’ve made mistakes, and learned patience. Presly is already making smart decisions for herself and her amazing kindness is incredible!  She is our world,  our little monkey,  so gentle,  confident,  silly,  emotional,  and just a nice person to be with.  Here are some of our memories the last 4 years…

“You’re unbelievable P,  we LOVE you right up to the moon and back” XOXO

I get this question A LOT from people “What camera and lenses do you have?” So I felt like sharing a funny cartoon and some of my favorite photography tips that have helped me out.

But first, this is my favorite….

and this one….

Remember that a good camera and photoshop skills help, but it *IS* the photographer and skills behind the camera that matter most!! So practice, practice, practice, — their is no overnight success!  Trust your own ability, don’t compete with others, you have your own eye and talent!   (I need to remind myself this as well)!

Here are some more tips….

I always put the focus on the eyes.

PEZ dispensers make awesome bribes!!! and talk with the kids when photographing them — but don’t ask them to say CHEESE!!!  Sometimes having them say “yes” works for a smile. Play peek a boo behind the camera. And for the parents, they get a big laugh when I tell the kids to say “money” it really makes big smiles, when they expected me to say “cheese”

This one reminds me of myself, Presly and Mark,  of cousre ‘us moms’ are always taking the photos (;

and YES, I take bad pictures too! I only show my BEST work!!  Investing in good equipment helped me, but I also take classes, attended at a bunch of seminars over the years, buy photography books, read forums, and I am still learning photography. Remember PRACTICE, it’s digital…practice, practice, practice, get comfortable — AND ALWAYS HAVE FUN!

XOXO

P.S. this is my slack, and it looks like rain and snow for the rest of the week. So I am trying my best to keep the blog updated until Spring is finally here and start shooting again and share some photography  (: