It's that time of year again: Senior Spotlight Season and we are rolling right into our next MGP Senior!
Every year we recognize MGP Seniors and their accomplishments over their last year of high school while also enjoying looking at some of their images from their session(s).
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This week's spotlight is on Miss. Haylee from Montezuma High School in Montezuma, Iowa!
Haylee has also been around for a few years, too. She joined the Underclassmen Project Team and moved on up to the Senior Model team for this year! Setting all of this up and looking back, it's incredible to watch her grow. I remember the first time I met her; she was SO nervous but she took the plunge and decided to join on to the program(s)!
Haylee has been kind, compassionate and understanding around me. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for her and her family and I always knew there would be a good laugh or two when they were all around! I could definitely see (and feel) her personality shine during her senior sessions, too, especially having her family near! I have enjoyed getting to know her more these last few years than she will ever know!
Here are Haylee's responses to the spotlight questionnaire:
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What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?:
"Stepping out of my comfort zone and auditioning for the school musical. I also joined speech and drama, I did choral reading and radio broadcasting. Choral reading received a non-performing all state recognition."
I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?:
"I am looking forward to the Coe College Honor Band in April!"
Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them:
"I played softball my freshman and sophomore years. I’ve been in band all through high school. Also Musical, Speech and Drama."
What's your plan for this summer?:
"I plan on working and saving up money, and also making time for myself and my family and friends."
What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have):
"I’m going to be attending William Penn University and I am doing the online program majoring in Elementary Education."
Do you have any advice for your underclassmen?:
"It goes by faster than you think, be confident and try new things!"
What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?:
"All of them 😍 especially the Hunter (the horse) and I."
Is there anything else you would like shared?:
"I am so glad I applied for the Underclassman project. It was the absolute best decision, really got me out of my comfort zone!! Thank you Alley!!"
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Let's look over the last few years!
Her first shoot was the Underclassmen Project Team sign up in 2021!
Then we had a little fun on a rooftop!
We finished up the year with a little Christmas shoot!
Rolling into 2022, we had our first shoot together as her Senior Model sign up!
Next up was her BFF session (which was ADORABLE!)
And then we had two sessions for her!
Then we had her second session closer to home!
Thank you SO much to Haylee (and your fam) for hanging around MGP for the last few years! It was truly a pleasure to have you around!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2024 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alexandra Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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It's that time of year again: Senior Spotlight Season and we are rolling right into our next MGP Senior!
Every year we recognize MGP Seniors and their accomplishments over their last year of high school while also enjoying looking at some of their images from their session(s).
Our next center of attention is Miss. Jordan from Iowa Valley High School in Marengo, Iowa.
Jordan has been around for a few years now; starting on the Underclassmen Project Team and then bumping up to the Senior Model Team. So far, we've had 7 shoots together (both big and small) and still have one more to finish out the year! I love Jordan's go-with-the-flow and laid-back personality. While she may be pretty chill, she always shows up knowing what she wants and how to get it! I think my favorite shoot with her was her senior session but I also REALLY loved the energy she just brought to our last styled shoot (hopefully I can sneak a few of those in here at the end)!
Enough of my chatting though, let's see what Jordan has going on as she finishes up the last few weeks of high school!
What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?: "I believe I have had many things to be proud of throughout my senior year. Some of those things include; making hoco court, earning my Microsoft certification, having the highest score in the state of Iowa on my Microsoft Word certification test, and earning my Iowa Degree for FFA!"
I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?: "I would say that I'm looking forward to senior skip day and pulling our senior prank but since we already did those I'd have to say that I'm looking forward to attending my final State FFA Convention."
Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them: "Oh yes I was involved in a bunch of them! Volleyball, Basketball, Golf, Softball, FFA, Speech, Year Book and Student Council"
What's your plan for this summer?: "This summer I plan on having a bunch of fun with my friends before we all go our separate ways!"
What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have): "In the fall I will be attending Iowa State to major in Animal Science!"
Do you have any advice for your underclassmen?: "My advice to underclassmen is to always have fun no matter what you're doing or where you're at! With the right mindset you can make the best out of any situation!"
What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?: "My favorite images from my senior session are the ones where I'm wearing the navy blue dress. All of those pictures are amazing."
Is there anything else you would like shared?: "Mother nature can be crazy so make sure you have a back up date (or 3) in mind when choosing your senior session date!"
^^ She's not wrong there! We were definitely on the struggle bus when it came time to actually have her session and coordinating around the weather!
Shall we look at the last few years, then?
Her very first shoot, the Underclassmen Sign Up shoot:
That year we did a fun roof-top session that she was a part of, too!
We definitely had a great (ang BIG) group that year!
The next time I saw Jordan for a shoot was at her Senior Model sign up shoot!
And then we went out to a random field for some cutesy images!
Then we were supposed to have her session. And it got rescheduled. And then it got rescheduled again..
But it FINALLY happened! And it was great! Never mind the flat tire I got while shooting..
Of course we had to start with the FFA jacket!
Remember those shoes? :)
I LOVED the pink dress backgrounds! The colors (and Jordan) are all perfect together!
Off to the golf course we went!
And then to the school..
And that was just a preview of the images from her session. There were so many good ones!
We also had a quick cozy sweater photo shoot:
Aaaaannnd here's one small sneak into our shoot from just the other day at West End Architectural Salvage in Des Moines!
Dress from: Dream Dress in Cedar Rapids!
Thank you SO much to Jordan for hanging around MGP for the last few years! It was a pleasure to have you around!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2024 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alexandra Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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It's that time of year again: Senior Spotlight Season and it's time to kick the year off!
Every year we recognize MGP Seniors and their accomplishments over their last year of high school!
Our first up is the very beautiful and talented Miss. Amelia from North Mahaska High School in New Sharon, Iowa!
Amelia has been a part of MGP's Senior Model program and I have enjoyed having her fun and take-charge spirit on the team! This girl definitely knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it! We had a few different shoots together and each of them were just as fun as the others. I am super excited for you to look through the last year with her!
But first, let's learn a little about Amelia!
What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of: "I’m very proud of all the relationships I’ve made with underclassmen at my school and that I’ve been able to help grow the next group of leaders at NM!"
Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them: "Basketball, football athletic training, FFA (chapter officer), all-school musical, choir and the school newspaper."
What's your plan for this summer?: "I’m going to work an internship to better develop my career skills before college starts."
What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have): "I’m going to attend Iowa State to major in Agricultural Education and I plan to be a high school Ag Ed teacher after college."
Do you have any advice for your underclassmen?: "Just treasure your time during high school. You don’t have to fill all of it with activities to be successful. Remember to take time for yourself too! :)"
What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?: "The ones where I’m drinking coffee are definitely some of my favorite! Also any of the green top and jeans outfit pictures!"
Let's look back at all of the sessions she's been involved in!
Up first: Her MGP Senior Model Sign Up Shoot
Then, we had her BFF Session!
Then we had a fun sunset shoot with the group! This session was shot right out at Belva Deer (in Keokuk County)!
And now, let's look at some images from her senior session! We started her session right in Pella!
(Of course we had to stop into Smokey Row for a mid-session coffee!)
Amelia wanted to get some nature images, so off to Lake Red Rock we went!
And finally we finished up her session back in her school to showcase her love for basketball!
Thank you so very much to Amelia and her family for letting MGP capture these moments throughout this special year!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2024 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alexandra Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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It's that time of year again: Senior Spotlight Season!
Every year we recognize MGP Seniors and their accomplishments over their last year of high school!
Next up is another new face around here, Miss. Abby from Oskaloosa High School in Osakloosa, Iowa!
Abby also elected to have two separate sessions, one that focused on her love for flying in the summer and the second was more of a relaxed fall session.
Let me tell you.. as soon as I booked Abby I was PUMPED. I don't even care if it's not cool to say pumped anymore. I was! Her mom stressed how important flying was to her and that we would definitely be focusing on that for her session. Also let me tell you.. I had NO idea how darn windy it is at the Oskaloosa Airport! We fought that wind pretty hard, had to move a little here and there but in the end we came up with some amazing shots!
Now, I don't know about all of you that know this girl well, but Abby was probably the most "know what she wants but go-with-the-flow" student I've ever worked with. You'll have to let me know if that description is true! I loved the ideas she had for her different locations and that she was also willing to go along with my different ideas. I also was a fan how we did a good part of both of her sessions around her family land and properties! You really can't beat the personal touch that will last forever in her portraits!
I really did have a lot of fun following Abby and her mom around at both of her sessions. It was truly great to get to know her throughout our time together and to admire her determination at such a young age! It really is inspiring! From her love and dedication to 4H, her sweet corn field to her love of being in the air; I am blown away by her eagerness to chase after what she wants.
Anyways, I could go on and on about this girl, but that's not why you all are here! Before we see her portraits from her sessions, let's learn a little more about Abby from her questionnaire!
What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of: "High game and high series in bowling. It will also be getting my pilots license, but that hasn’t happened yet." -- PS I'll be expecting an update on that!
I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?: "Getting my private pilots license and building flight time before I go to college."
Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them: "Bowling, Tennis, concert band, jazz band, and marching band."
What's your plan for this summer?: "Fly, fish, and sell sweet corn."
What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have): "I plan to attend the University of Dubuque to study Aviation Operations and Minor in Aviation Management. After college, I plan to become a corporate pilot."
Do you have any advice for your underclassmen?: "Do what you want and don’t worry about other people."
What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?: "The airplane ones, any of the black/white ones, the fishing ones."
Let's look back at her sessions!
We did take some nice (aka none-airplane)portraits during her first session, too.
I literally can't with this girl's personality!
And then from her second session..
Please tell me you're laughing here too!
We'll call this one, "A stump; the progression.."
Hopefully you got to experience a little bit of Abby's personality in these images!
Thank you so very much, Abby (and Kara) for letting us be a part of Abby's senior year! Wishing you the very best as you fly off (see what I did there?!) to school next year! I know you will be nothing short of amazing!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2023 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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It's that time of year again: Senior Spotlight Season!
Every year we recognize MGP Seniors and their accomplishments over their last year of high school!
Next up is another new face around here, Miss. Alivia from Belle Plaine High School in Belle Plaine, Iowa!
Alivia decided she wanted to have two separate sessions; one in the summer and one in the fall! She wanted to go somewhere a little different than "around home" for her session so we took her to the sprawling town of What Cheer. Little did I know that the Iowa DOT decided that that day they were going to do some work along the highway in town. So Alivia got to learn how to pose with me over wonderful noises jackhammering and big trucks. Lucky girl!
Her second session ended up being a little more quiet and peaceful (and super fun - just wait until you see that adorable little car)! We were also able to show off who Alivia really is with her spots around her hometown and with her sports sets!
Overall, getting to know Alivia and her family over the last year has been nothing short of a blessing and it has been a blast!
Before we take a look at the images from her session, let's learn a little bit about Alivia and her last year in high school!
What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of: "I am most proud of being on the high honor roll all throughout high school. I am also most proud of being the football and basketball cheerleading captain."
I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?: "I am most looking forward to finding a roommate for college next year. I am also looking forward to my senior prom!!"
Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them: "I have been in softball and basketball cheerleading all 4 years of high school. I was captain of the basketball cheer team my junior and senior year. I have also been involved in football cheerleading since my sophomore year, I was captain my senior year."
What's your plan for this summer?: "This summer I plan to finish off my senior year by playing softball and working at the Ice House in Belle Plaine."
What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have): "In the fall I will be attending the University of Northern Iowa. I plan to major in Pre-Physical Therpay."
Do you have any advice for your underclassmen?: "Enjoy high school while you can, time really does fly. You don’t have to be involved in everything your school offers but being involved is important. Don’t bite off more then you can chew!"
What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?: "Oh boy it’s hard to choose just one. I absolutely love all of the ones in the car and the ones after that at the grass park area with the same outfit. I am also in love with a lot of my softball pictures!"
Now, let's look back at some of our favorite portraits from her session!
First up: Her summer session!
And then her fall session:
This next set cracks me up every time!
Thank you SO very much for letting us be a part of your senior year, Alivia! Wishing you the very best as you finish out this year and head off on your new journey after high school!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2023 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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It's that time of year again: Senior Spotlight Season!
Every year we recognize MGP Seniors and their accomplishments over their last year of high school!
First up is a new face around here, Mr. Ian from East High School in Waterloo, Iowa!
Ian was actually my very last senior I worked with before winter hit this busy season and boy did we end the year on a bang! I typically do not work with many students from the Waterloo area, but if they're anything like this young fella (and his momma & aunt), bring them on! This last fall's busy season hung on for the longest in my photography career because of the nice weather. So shooting Ian's session late-November really was a breeze!
We started our day up in his neck of the woods (ok, city) and then ended back in the studio for some specialized lighting work. He even got in the "rain" set when it was 30*. What a CHAMP! Ian was more than willing to try anything I had asked him to, which from what I understand, has been pretty common for him growing up in front of his mom's and aunt's camera! And BONUS, he sang for us not once, but TWICE! The guy just gave the whole day his everything!
It really is fun meeting clients on their home turf and letting them show us around. There are so many hidden gems in the Waterloo area and thanks to their local insight, I have a few ideas going forward!
Every year I send a questionnaire to graduating seniors for them to fill out. Before we get going too far into his images, let's get to know Ian just a little more:
What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of: "I was on homecoming court and finished three fall sports seasons."
I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?: "I will be running track in the spring, hoping to qualify for the state track meet and Drake Relays. I will also be playing baseball this summer."
Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them: "I ran track and cross country, played football, baseball, and travel volleyball."
What's your plan for this summer?: "Play baseball and do as many trips and fun things with friends as possible."
What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have): "I’m planning on going to an undecided college to run track and get my undergrad in kinesiology before I eventually become a chiropractor."
Do you have any advice for your underclassmen?: "Have as much fun during high school as you can. Hang with friends, go to school events and dances, and try some different sports or clubs!"
What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?: "I really, really loved how the photos under the rain with the blue and purple lighting turned out! I also thought the pictures on the track turned out really cool too!"
Now, let's look back at some of our favorite portraits from his session!
I can't thank you all (Peggy, Stacey and Ian) enough for trusting this small-town photographer with your vision and having a blast together! You guys were a dream to work with and the perfect ending for my Class of 2022 senior season!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2023 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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It's that time of year again: Senior Spotlight Season!
Every year we recognize MGP Seniors and their accomplishments over their last year of high school!
First up is none other than Miss. Dylan from Montezuma High School!
I first met Dylan when she tagged along with Katie (an MGP Senior Model) for a BFF shoot! I am sure our confusion on the correct date for this shoot really set the tone and made Dylan instantly fall in love with the business! The shoot went off without a hitch though and it really was a lot of fun! I'll throw in a few images from that shoot so you can enjoy them, too!
Dylan's senior session was way back in August of 2020; right before school opened back up. The colors were vibrant, the air was warm (ok really it was hot) and Dylan was a champ through it all! We had a great mix of country/urban and sports for her session, and I really love how some of her personality really shows in these!
But before we get to her images, let's read a little more about Dylan from her questionnaire!
Me: "What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?"
Dylan: "The year is only a little over half way over and there are still so many great things that have happened. Some major accomplishments for me this year have been being on homecoming court and crowned queen, being runner up conference champions in volleyball and conference champions in basketball. Over all I’m super proud of how my school and friends have adapted to make this year seem more normal even through all the hard times."
Me: "I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?"
Dylan: "I don’t have any major plans to finish out the year. I’m just hoping that we get to have the rest of basketball season, prom and graduation and normal as possible."
Me: "Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below."
Dylan: "I have been involved in volleyball, basketball, track, student council, FFA, and National Honor Society."
Me: "What's your plan for this summer?"
Dylan: "This summer I plan to work and earn money for college in the fall. I also plan on spending time with my friends and family."
Me: "What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below."
Dylan: "Next year I plan on going to Simpson College and to play basketball. I’m not sure in my major and will most likely be going in undecided."
Me: "Do you have any advice for your underclassmen?"
Dylan: "My advice for the underclassmen would be to be thankful for every moment. High school really does go faster than you think and after all it is only 4 years of your life. High school can bring some of the best moments and you never know what can be taken away from you. Never talk anything for granted and live life to the fullest."
Me: "What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?"
Dylan: "I absolutely loved all of my pictures but some of my favorites would have to be in my jeans with the black see-though cardigan."
And now let's see some of all of our favorite images:
A sprinkle of BFF images:
And then from Dylan's senior session:
Thank you, Dylan, for choosing Marie Grace Photography to document your senior portraits! You were so fun to work with and it was great to get to know you! Enjoy the final months of your senior year and I wish you all of the best as you head off to Simpson next year!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2022 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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Last but not at all the least, there's Jenna.
Where do I even start?
Jenna's soul is deep. I knew it from the moment I first worked with her. I didn't know why, but I saw it.
I learned why over time.
When we first worked together Jenna was very quiet. She was an observer. She watched and took it all in. But as the year progressed, she grew and bloomed. Her guard has dropped little by little every time I've seen her, and I will treasure the opportunity I've had to earn her trust and to get to know her.
The very first time I got to work with Jenna was waaaaaay back in the winter months of early 2019. She was one of the models for the Bridal Dreams prom dress styled shoot in the snow. It was COLD. Very, very cold! But all three girls, including Jenna took it in stride!
From there Jenna decided she wanted to be a part of the Class of 2020 MGP Senior Model team and it made my heart so happy that she wanted to be apart of it! From there we had multiple shoots together from styled shoots to group shoots with the rest of the team.
For now, let's learn a little bit more about Jenna from her questionnaire!
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Jenna: "I am most proud of receiving a huge scholarship that I dreamed of. I’m also proud of getting to work with a local interior designer so I get an inside look of what it will look like for me."
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Jenna: "Well I was really looking forward to prom this year and I’m crossing my fingers it will still happen."
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Jenna: "I was involved in dance my freshmen year and I managed the girls swim team my junior and senior year. I also decided to play tennis this year but that has been put on hold for now."
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Jenna: "I plan on working a lot to save up money for college but I am holding to have an amazing summer with my friends before we all go off to college."
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Jenna: "I plan on going to Iowa State University for Interior Design."
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Jenna: "I love all of the picture but some of my favorite have to be worth my niece and the ones in the sunflowers."
Me: Is there anything else you would like shared?
Jenna: "It has been so fun to be a senior model for MGP and I would encourage everyone to do so if they have the chance."
And now let's look back at the very best year (and a half) ...
At the beginning there was the Bridal Dreams Snow Session.
Following this was the Lighted Styled Session.
And then there was her MGP Senior Model Announcement.
Next there was the floral Styled Session.
The Americana Styled Session came next.
Her BFF Session followed.
Her next session was her Sunflower Session (which was also one of my favorites).
And then the other half of her session..
The following shoot was the Christmas Pajama Pizza Party Session.
Next up was the Print Competition Session
And then there was the Bridal Dreams Prom Dress Session at The Studio in Des Moines!
Jenna; I cannot thank you enough for giving me the chance to get to know you. You are incredibly strong and smart. You are a light, whether you see it or not. I believe so much that you were put in my life for a very big reason. You, my dear, are meant for big things.
I wish you all of the very best luck as you head off to Iowa State this fall!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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Today's Senior Spotlight is focused on none other than the fabulous Miss. Jazmine who has now graduated from Montezuma High School!
Remembering back to Jazmine's session and what I remember most was how chilly it was but how well she handled the cooler temperature! We started out at her place near the water (with the cutest little doggo ever) since she is such a lake girl and then traveled around Diamond Lake for some images and then ended up on the ball diamond to finish up the session!
I love Jazmine's personality so much! I love that she knows what she wants and she's not afraid to go after it. She is so strong, even if she doesn't feel it. She is quick to hand out a compliment and to make everyone feel better and I absolutely adore that about her too.
I loved her outfit choices, she even brought her own awesome hat (and we all know how much I love hats)! She had everything on hand from cozy trendy to edgy and fun! Just wait until you see them all!
For now, let's learn a little more about Jazmine!
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Jazmine: "I am most proud of how our class is handling this Covid-19 and not being able to be together. We aren’t together but we stick together."
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Jazmine: "I’m just hoping we get to graduate! I’m honestly looking forward to walking across the stage with my 2020 class."
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Jazmine: "Softball, Track, Cross country , Basketball, Vocal, Speech and drama, Band."
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Jazmine: "To have fun with family and friends. Be ready for college."
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Jazmine: "I will be attending DMACC fall of 2020 to become a dental hygienist!"
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Jazmine: "My favorite photos were the ones where I was in the yellow shirt in the tall grass."
Me: Is there anything else you would like shared?
Jazmine: "Stay strong class of 2020."
And now let's look back on the images from her session!
Look at their matching hats!
One of my favorites! ;)
Even though it was chilly, it was still an amazing session. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to meet and work with Jazmine and her mom for her senior session. Jazmine is truly a blessing and will do GREAT things.
Best wishes as you head off to DMACC this fall Jazmine!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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The Senior Spotlight today is for the one and only Miss. Brianna!
And the one and only she really is.
Brianna is another one of the Class of 2020 MGP Senior Models and she has been a BLAST to have around this year. I knew from our very first meeting that she would be absolutely perfect for the team. Her showing up in her little hippie style made my photographer heart just melt. And her sarcasm and quick wit always has me rolling, too!
Every session I know B will be at will be a good one. She is a leader when needed and isn't afraid to try whatever I ask her to. Her style is always on point. ALWAYS. It makes me so sad to think that our time together has run its course, but I know that Brianna is on to such big things!
Brianna is a graduate of Montezuma High School and here is a little bit more about her..
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Brianna: "I never got my senior sport season but working out with my track coach after school is something I was proud of. Seeing the results of the hard work paid off."
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Brianna: "Track was what I was most looking forward to all year but I am holding on to some hope that we’ll get a bit of a season."
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Brianna: "I have been involved in Track & Field all throughout high school."
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Brianna: My plans this summer is to make some memories with my friends and all those I grew up with before leaving to meet all new people."
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Brianna: This fall I’ll be attending University of Iowa to major in Speech and Hearing Sciences with a minor in American Sign Language."
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Brianna: "Some of my favorite pictures are in my grandmas dress in the awesome sunset, the pictures I got to honor my dad, and my pictures out on the track."
Me: Is there anything else you would like shared?
Brianna: "Alley, you are the BEST! Thank you for being so awesome and making this whole experience something I looked forward to!"
Ok excuse me while I go get a tissue to dry my eyes real quick...
From the beginning..
To the LuRoo & Co Styled Shoot..
Then her BFF session (with her little nieces)..
To the Americana Styled Shoot..
Her Senior Session..
To the Rock N Roll Styled Shoot..
Then there was the Christmas Pajama Pizza Party Session..
And then finally, the Bridal Dreams Prom Shoot at The Studio in Des Moines!
Thank you so very stinking much for being a part of this team Brianna. You make my heart happy and it has been a blessing to get to know you and your momma.
Much love to you as you go on and take on this big big world. You got this.
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
The Senior Spotlight for today is focused on Miss. Julia! Julia has graduated from San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, California!
I was fortunate enough to work with Julia and her family while they were back in Iowa visiting last summer! A California girl getting senior portraits done in Iowa is a change of pace and I had a really great time getting to know this family a little bit!
Julia was definitely quiet, but her smile really lit up any space we were in! I adored her outfit choices and even though she was on the shy side, she definitely owned each set she was photographed in.
We started her session in the morning in Montezuma at a fellow photographer's space to use her piano (thanks Jo!) From there we picked a few spots in the Montezuma area to photograph at! It was a wonderful session even though a storm was threatening near the end!
Here is a little more to learn about Julia:
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Julia: "Although my senior year did have a rough start with my mom’s accident, it really has brought us together more. I am proud of myself and my family for overcoming all of these obstacles and growing closer over these past months."
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Julia: "I’m looking forward to deciding what college I will be attending next year; I have yet to hear back from 11 colleges."
(She ended up choosing Santa Clara University!)
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Julia: "Dance and Youth & Government"
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Julia: "This summer I am excited to visit Iowa to see my dad’s side of the family and spend more time in our newly renovated house there. Additionally, I look forward to my family’s annual trip to our cabin in the Sierra Nevada’s built by my great grandfather."
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Julia: "I applied to 14 colleges this fall and am still waiting for all of my admission decisions to come back. Because of my love for math and sciences I have decided to pursue an mechanical engineering degree."
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Julia: "I had one set where I was wearing a blue checkered shirt and standing in a field of flowers that I really loved."
And let's take a look back at her session now, too!
.
Thank you so very much for letting me work with you and your family, Julia! It was absolutely wonderful getting to know you and your family during your session! I wish you all the best as you head off to Santa Clara (HOPEFULLY Covid-19 allows) this fall!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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Today's Senior Spotlight shines on Miss. Alyssa who will be graduating from Mount Pleasant High School in Mount Pleasant, Iowa!
Alyssa is another member of the MGP Class of 2020 Senior Model team and it has been so incredible to have her be a part of it all! It has been a lot fun to watch her take part in all of the different shoots and to see her personality come through! Alyssa is a little reserved and shy at first, but when she gets comfortable she is a lot of fun to be around!
Alyssa has been a lot of fun to spend time with during photo shoots; she is quick with the sarcasm and she goes along with all of my crazy ideas and pretends she doesn't think they are crazy! :)
We've had quite a few different photo shoots together and I think my favorite one with her was probably her individual senior session. Traipsing through the mud to get to a Missouri Crossing always sounds good in theory, until you have to do it. And then the current is a little strong and almost takes you out. But those are memories, right, Alyssa?
She's a beast in the discus ring and I am incredibly bummed for her to miss out on her senior track season. But this girl still has big things coming!
Alyssa did fill out her questionnaire pre-pandemic and some of her answers reflect that.
Alyssa's Spotlight:
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Alyssa: "This year I am proud of myself for trying new things. I auditioned for a school play and got a part. I have also been broadening my horizons and learning more about my community as I volunteer at the Henry County Heritage Trust Museum every week."
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Alyssa: "I am looking forward to competing in the 2020 track and softball seasons. I have also gotten a part in the upcoming school musical. During my high school years I have learned that I love performing. I can’t wait to portray my character on stage!"
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Alyssa: "Yes, this year I participated in school activities such as a football manager, fall play, spring musical, show choir, track, and softball. I have also spent time this year volunteering at the local museum."
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Alyssa: "This summer I plan to take a trip to Washington D.C and New York City with the music department from my high school. I plan to finish my high school career by playing softball. I also want to spend my summer with my family and friends before I start my life’s new adventures."
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Alyssa: "I plan to attend Hawkeye Community College to participate in their track program and begin my educational path to become an elementary teacher."
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Alyssa: "My two favorite sets from my senior session were the pictures that were taken behind What Cheer tavern and the images that were taken at my great great grandparents farm. I loved the rustic backdrop of both sites and including a piece of my family's history at the farm."
And now let's look back at the last year..
From her announcement session..
To her BFF session..
To the Americana session..
Then there was the Rock N Roll shoot..
Next up was her Senior Session..
After that, the next session was the Pizza Pajama Party..
The next session together was the prom shoot at The Studio in Des Moines..
Thank you so much, Alyssa (and Jennifer) for letting me work with you for the last year and a half! It has been so fun getting to know you better and I know that you are going to conquer many things in the coming years! I am excited to watch and cheer you on from the sidelines!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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Today's Senior Spotlight is shining on Mr. Jace, who will be graduating from Prairie High School in the Cedar Rapids area! Jace will be attending Kirkwood this fall!
Jace had the privilege of having two different sessions; the first focused on his favorite hobbies (firefighting for Fairfax FD & bowling) and during his second session we worked on his nicer outfits! It was so fun both times we worked with Jace (and his entire family)! Jace has quite the village of love and support surrounding him, he's a lucky kid!
His first session was definitely toasty, especially for him! Can you imagine getting in full firefighter gear on in upper 80* weather and then trying to look nice for pictures? Of course Jace handled it like a champ and ALWAYS had a smile on his face! His second session we were definitely blessed with better weather! He is SUCH a gentleman too, always offering to help at every turn! Just thinking of him makes me smile!
Let's learn a little more about Jace from his Senior Spotlight, shall we?
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Jace: "I am proud of the good grades I worked hard to achieve in school. I'm also proud of our bowling team's 4th consecutive trip to State in February, along with my season average of 206, bowling anchor for most of our meets and tournaments."
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Jace: "I hope I can finish out my Firefighter I certification. Classes at Kirkwood twice per week started in early November and were to finish in April."
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Jace: "Yes, the Prairie High School Bowling team. Go Hawks!
I'm also a volunteer firefighter for our town. FFD Proud!"
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Jace: "I plan to work and continue to save money for college. I'd like to get some fishing in as well as a few games of bowling."
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Jace: "I plan to attend Kirkwood in the fall, enrolled in their Advanced Welding Technologies. I will also continue my involvement with the fire department."
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Jace: "I like my firefighter pics the best, of course. 😉 My mom says I look the happiest and most satisfied in them."
And now let's look back at Jace's Senior Sessions!
This kid pulls off a black & white really well!
SEE! :)
Can't you tell he's just so in his element here?
A BIG, HUGE THANK YOU to the Merta Family for making the last year (almost two years??) so fun! It has been such a blessing to get to know all of you! And I can't wait until it's Teagan's turn to see what we come up for his session!
Good luck to you Jace, as you continue on past high school. There are so many possibilities out there and I know you will chase them!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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Today's Senior Spotlight is for Mr. Brayden!
Brayden will will graduate from Tri-County Community School next month!
I had the privilege of meeting Brayden last year when he tagged along for a friend's session and then he had his session the next day! I loved his personality and he was willing to go along with almost all of my ideas! Although I feel like his choices in socks were a little questionable, I still enjoyed hanging out with him during his session! He definitely has some of my favorite guy sport images, too! Also, I need to note that he had THE BEST outtakes of any dude senior session I have ever taken. Just wait until you see!
We stayed around the Keokuk County area for his session, using small town buildings for a lot of our backdrops. I love how we have that option in our small communities!
Brayden had filled out his questionnaire pre-pandemic, so some of his answers may reflect that!
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Brayden: "I’m very happy about how my football season went. I am also very happy about my grades and being accepted to ISU."
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Brayden: "I plan to go out for track and baseball hopefully we end the year strong in those. I’m looking forward to the senior class trip that is going to Tennessee."
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Brayden: "Yes. Football, Basketball, Track, Baseball, National Honor Society, and Speech and Drama."
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Brayden: "I plan to play baseball and get ready to move to college. Spend some time with my friends before I leave."
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Brayden: "I am going to ISU to major in Animal Ecology. I want to work at a national park."
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Brayden: "My basketball ones for sure and also the ones by the lake."
Me: Is there anything else you would like shared?
Brayden: "I loved getting my pictures taken it was a wonderful time!!"
I ask almost every guy to do the neck scratch and almost every single reaction is looking at me like I'm crazy. But I love how GQ it turns out to be!
All of his outtakes were during his transition from smiling to serious face. They CRACK ME UP!
Thank you so much, Brayden, for choosing MGP for your senior portraits!
Best wishes as you head off to ISU this fall! Enjoy your summer as much as you can!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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Today's Senior Spotlight is for Miss. Hannah!
Hannah will be a graduate of Iowa Valley High School in Marengo, Iowa this spring! She is also one of the Class of 2020 MGP Senior Models! She has been a thrill to have on the team; I love her style and her personality so much! Hannah isn't afraid to be herself and she has a take-charge mentality, which is so refreshing in this day-and-age (Do I sound old when I say that? I feel like I sound old when I say that).
I could always count on Hannah having fun during photo shoots and she was always one to strike up conversation with the others, too! Hannah is SO very smart and I am beyond excited to see what she does in the coming year(s)!
Let's learn a little bit more about Hannah from her Senior Spotlight!
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Hannah: "This year I had the honor of portraying Mother Superior in the musical Sister Act. I have also been invited to Allstate as a non-performer for large group speech. My group entered our short film Daisy. I am excited that I have been excepted to the University of Iowa."
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Hannah: "This year I am looking forward to my senior year of high school soccer and individual speech. This year I am entered in the categories of story telling and acting."
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Hannah: "Over my four years in high school I have been involved with soccer, choir, drama, small group and large group speech, student government, Speech Leadership Advisory Panel, FFA, FCS club, and silver cord."
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Hannah: "This summer I plan to work in order to save for college. I would also like to do some traveling to different states with friends."
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Hannah: "This fall I will be attending the University of Iowa. I plan on majoring in Business and Theater. I would also like a minor in Spanish. I am not entirely sure what I will use my majors for, but I do know that I enjoy helping others and working with children."
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Hannah: "I love the pictures from my main shoot. I would also love to see the pictures from the prom photo shoot."
Me: Is there anything else you would like shared?
Hannah: "I plan on studying abroad while in college, and I can’t wait to experience new things in college."
Ok, now I'm ready to look back at the last year with Miss. Hannah!
First up is from our very first shoot together!
Here our some images with her BFF, Mady, who is also a 2020 MGP Senior!
She was also part of our Americana shoot!
And then there was her senior session, downtown Iowa City!
And this is when we were trying to get Hannah to be a rep for Nike.
Then we did one of my favorite group shoots, the Rock N Roll Session!
We also had our Christmas Pajama Pizza Party!
And then our final shoot together, for now, has been the Prom Photo Shoot at The Studio in Des Moines!
I have had SO much fun getting to know Hannah (and her mom) over the last year. She is truly a blessing!
Hannah: I know you are going to do big things in your life! Follow your dreams with determination and grace! I will be here cheering you on!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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Today's Senior Spotlight is focusing on Mr. Adam from Swisher, Iowa! Adam will be a graduate of Prairie High School in the Cedar Rapids area this May!
Adam and his mom found me through another MGP senior (and his mom) and I am SO glad we had the opportunity to work with each other! I LOVE Adam's personality and how he wasn't afraid to have some fun with his session! Like, for example, when I was just joking and asked him to go down a slide! Those images became some of our favorites!
It did end up being pretty chilly for Adam's session. In fact, I remember seeing some snow on the ground in spots here and there around the farm where they lived! They had such a cool spot for images, we decided it would be best to start at the farm and then we ended in Cedar Rapids. By the end of the evening I think I can fairly say that we were all FROZEN, but we were having so much fun! I think some of my favorite images were also at the ball field in Swisher. You could tell that was Adam's comfort zone for sure! He did make me work a little to get a few smiles out of him, but it was totally worth it!
Enough of my chatting though. Let's learn a little about Adam from his spotlight!
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Adam: "I recently was inducted into GNHS (German National Honor Society). I committed to Iowa State for the fall of 2020. I also took the ACT and received a 32 which has assisted me in scholarship preparation."
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Adam: "I'm just looking forward to preparing for the next chapter of my life and all the little unknowns that accompany it."
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Adam: "Just Wiffleball. The 2020 season looks to be the biggest in my league’s history."
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Adam: "Run the Wiffleball League. Work to build up savings for college."
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Adam: "I intend to be a civil engineer at Iowa State, with a minor in German and maybe environmental studies."
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Adam: "My favorites probably would be the truck, the Blitzball photos, and anything black and white."
Which one do you like better? Color or black and white?
Now these images are pretty special to this family. Adam's pickup belonged to his grandfather and he definitely takes good care of it!
I LOVED this tree!
Remember the slide I mentioned in the beginning?
This was only mildly terrifying.
I think if you ask Adam and his mom, this is probably one of their favorites!
And again, color or black and white? I love them both!
A big THANK YOU to Adam and his family for letting us into your lives and for showing us around your favorite places! It was a perfect (even cold) session!
I wish the very best to you as you head off to Iowa State this fall! Enjoy your extra time off as much as you can right now!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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Where do I even start with Claire?!
Miss. Claire is one of the class of 2020 Marie Grace Photography Senior Models and each and every one of these girls has a very special place in my heart, especially Claire. I have had the privilege of getting to know Claire pretty well over the last year as we have had multiple portrait sessions together. Her personality and sense of humor SHINES. I know for sure whenever Claire is around, there will be laughing. I appreciate a whole lot that she laughs at my jokes and then she will hand some right back to me!
It will be hard to watch these girls go off at the end of this year. My heart hurts for them and I wish so much they could be enjoying a few more of their lasts being seniors in high school, but I know they are taking this in stride and they are making the best of this situation!
This is definitely going to be a longer blog as we will look back at the entire year of Claire being with MGP. It is SO bittersweet to look back on these memories, but they definitely make me smile!
Before we get to the images though, let's get to know Claire just a little bit more..
Claire will be a graduate of Knoxville High School!
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Claire: "My major accomplishments my senior year was being captain of my dance team society! Also maintaining my grade point average and being nominated and winning homecoming queen. I am most proud of being captain of the dance team and the cross country team because I felt I have learned about myself and how to be a leader through it!"
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Claire: "I am looking forward to my spring beak vacation to Cabo, Mexico!!"
^^I bet she didn't think she would get such an extended Spring Break!
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Claire: "I was involved in the Knoxville Dance Team, cross country team, musical, national honors society, camera club, and student senate."
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Claire: "My plans for the summer is to work and hang out with my friends and family before I leave for college!"
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Claire: "I am going to the University of Iowa this next fall! I’m going to major undecided but with interest in psychology, pre child-life, and speech pathology!"
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Claire: "I loved my very first shoot with all of the flowers and my solo senior session!! I loved going to the flower place in Winterset then going and getting ice cream!!"
Me: Is there anything else you would like shared?
Claire: "I love Alley so much!!"
Let's start at the very beginning..
Starting with this class, I decided to do a photo shoot if they chose to sign up as a model team member right after their consultation! This is something super fun for the kids and it warms them up a little bit to being in front of the camera! This was Claire's first time in front of my camera!
Our next session was a spur of the moment floral shoot!
The next session we did together was her BFF shoot!
We met early summer for an Americana shoot, too!
Aaaand then I believe the next session was Claire's actual senior session!
We started her session downtown Des Moines and then we ended the session in Winterset!
It sprinkled just a little bit during her session.. this is the Claire that we all know and love!
Can't you just hear her laugh?!
And our most recent shoot together, the Bridal Dreams collaboration shoot at The Studio!
Ok, I think I am going to cry a few tears now. Just watching how much this girl has grown in the last year makes my heart so happy.
Thank you so much to Claire and your family for letting me be a part of your last year of high school. It was such an honor to get to know all of you and I will miss our little meet-ups at the Walmart in Oskaloosa! :)
Wishing you nothing but the absolute best Claire. You deserve nothing less.
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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Today's Senior Spotlight is focusing on none other than Mr. Holden from Sigourney High School!
Holden was actually really lucky last year and ended up with one of the few decent weather days for his session! I love how his images turned out and I think that his personality definitely shines in these! Holden has one of those 100 mega-watt smiles, and I loved how he would just go with the flow but he also had a lot of his own ideas, too!
Holden filled out his questionnaire before COVID-19 hit, and some of his answers reflect his plans before we knew the world would be put on pause! I still think they are great answers though, and I am DEFINITELY curious as to what his plans were for one of his answers!
So, let's learn a little about Holden!
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Holden: "I’ve came out of my shell a lot and put myself out there this year and make it a blast."
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Holden: "Prom I plan on doing something interesting but everyone will just have to see what it is if I do it."
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Holden: "I bowl through the high school and I recently got my Eagle Scout."
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Holden: "I’m headed to Las Vegas for a week to bowl and get everything sorted for college."
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Holden: "I’m going to bow in college not one hundred percent sure where I’m going to college yet, but I want to major in business."
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Holden: "I personally enjoyed the nature ones more than anything."
See what I was saying about that prom answer... I'm all curious!
But let's check out some of the images from his session!
We started his session at Keokuk County Bowl!
And then we traveled over to the alley right next to the studio; one of my favorite spots! And these turned out to be some of my favorite images of Holden!
If you can tell, he actually brought TWO bikes!
We actually ALL had to get him to NOT climb this tree! We didn't want him to fall into the water.. yet..
The dude can REALLY pull of pink!
I love the big smiles!
Ask him if his rear ended up getting wet for these!
He actually took a dare after this and ran into the water when we took the last image! I love how fun he was!
I had a blast with Holden and his mom during his session!
Thank you Holden (and Rhonda) for choosing Marie Grace Photography for your senior portraits!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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It's that time of year again: the time for Marie Grace Photography Senior Spotlights!
I am a little behind where I would like to be with these, but I have a goal to get spotlight's out there for each of the seniors over the next few weeks!
First up: Miss. Paige from Iowa Valley High School in Marengo, Iowa!
We chose an October day for Paige thinking it would be perfect. The weather should be not to warm, not too cold and the coloring from fall foliage should still be pretty decent.
NOPE!
Poor Paige froze her tail off during her session. We opted for a sunrise session to get golden hour images and it was about 30* when we started, and windy! But Paige worked through it all and we got some amazing images of her!
We started her session in Keokuk County and then we ended her session over in her hometown! Even though the conditions were not what we had hoped, we still had an amazing time with Paige and her family!
So here is Paige's Senior Spotlight!
Me: What are your major accomplishments your senior year? What are you most proud of?
Paige: "A few major accomplishments I have obtained my senior year are being a Hills Bank Scholarship Recipient, getting elected as Marengo FFA President, getting elected to be President of my 4-H club, playing the role of Sister Mary Robert in Sister Act The Musical, and getting a division 1 at District Speech for Group Improvisation!"
Me: I know the year isn't quite over just yet; do you have any big plans to finish out the year? Is there something you are looking forward to before graduation?
Paige: "I mostly am just trying to complete as many scholarships as possible and to finish off the year strong. Even though I’m ready for school to be over, I am trying not to take anything for granted."
Me: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities? If yes, please list them below.
Paige: "I was in involved in track, volleyball, FFA, speech, drama, 4-H, silver cord, National Honor Society, student council, Family Consumer Science Club, youth group, and choir."
Ya know, just a few things. ;)
Me: What's your plan for this summer?
Paige: "This summer I plan to not waste anytime because it is my last summer at home. Of course, I will continuously pack for college throughout the summer, but do lots of fun activities as well. I plan to go swimming, hang out with friends, and work on my fair projects!"
Me: What does the future have in store for you? Have you already picked your school? If so, what major? (Or explain whatever future plans you have below).
Paige: "I am planning to attend Iowa State University in the Fall of 2020. My major as of right now is Animal Science and I would also like to minor in Agriculture Business. After college, I would like to have an agricultural job of some sort."
Me: What are your absolute favorite images/sets from your senior session?
Paige: "Even though my session was very very cold, I really liked taking pictures on the path at Gateway Park in Marengo. I also liked the pictures of me wearing the Love Your Melon hat and blanket scarf."
Me: Is there anything else you would like shared?
Paige: "My senior session was so fun and I was very happy with my pictures. Alley is an amazing photographer!"
So.. let's take a walk down memory lane and see some of Paige's images!
Thank you, Paige, for choosing Marie Grace Photography for your senior portraits! It has been so wonderful getting to know you and your family!
Wishing you all of the best as you finish this year and head off to Iowa State this fall!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2021 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Winter for a photographer is typically slower than any other season. So why not take that time to learn, to try new things and to grow?
I'm not going to lie, this winter has not been slow for the business like a typical winter (which I am eternally grateful for), but I am still trying to sneak in time here and there to work in new projects.
Like this shoot, for example! The senior model team was able to choose their own theme for this shoot and they chose "A Black Tie Affair." Fancy prom dresses, guys in sharp suits.. What more could a girl want?
I rented this BEAUTIFUL space (The Studio at One Source Events) in Des Moines, Iowa! The studio is seriously fabulous! If you're ever in need of an indoor studio space in that area to rent, I would recommend here! We also teamed up with the gracious ladies over at Bridal Dreams in Oskaloosa, Iowa for gown rentals! Not all of the girls in the model team were able to make it over to pick out a gown, but 3 out of 5 were able to work it out and were modeling their gowns like stars!
In order to keep things fresh and to keep growing, I challenged myself to use a different lighting technique than I typically do. I did this lighting mostly at the end, when I was ready to push the limits a little bit! Instead of doing the soft beauty lighting off to the side, I lit my subjects from above which can lead to an edgier type of image!
So let's check out what we all came up with, shall we?
5 out of the 6 lovely seniors on the team this year!
I've always wanted to do this shot and Jenna's dress from Bridal Dreams was perfect for the shot!
This gown that Claire is wearing is from Bridal Dreams!
This gown that Jenna is wearing is from Bridal Dreams!
This gown that Brianna is wearing is from Bridal Dreams!
The biggest of Thank You's to:
The Studio at One Source Events
Alyssa, Hannah, Claire, Brianna, Jenna, Wyatt & Payton
Sloane; for beefing up those arms and holding my light stand
And all of the parents and everyone else who made this shoot possible! It was SO much fun and I cannot wait to continue these fun projects to see what we can come up with!
Much love,
Alley
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney Iowa Professional Photographer
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Ahem, does this thing still work?
It has been a real hot minute since this blog site has been used, and I am so excited to share this wedding as a welcome back!
Drew + Dani
Where do we even start?
I absolutely adore how these two love each other. And how they're not afraid to share it with the world. Not in 'turn your head in the other direction,' kind of affection. But how they are just so stinking easy to get a ridiculous amount of good portraits because they live their love out loud and I don't even have to ask them to pose.
Their wedding day that they shared with their family and friends was nothing short of perfection. I am sure there was chaos and stress, but all I could see out of the two of them were pure joy and happiness. We were fortunate enough to get some amazing portraits of their day before the rain clouds came in (and even some amazing shots with the dark sky in the background) and everyone was nestled inside the reception area when the rain decided to start falling.
Their wedding ceremony was held here in Sigourney, Iowa at the wonderful Mr. & Mrs. Iosbaker's gorgeous property. I cannot say enough how beautifully everything was set up for the day. Everyone knocked the decorating out of the park and it felt like a little fairy tale right in the middle of town. Just wait until you see the pictures.. my whimsical words do not do the vision justice.
Let's just get into that, shall we?
Details:
If you saw my Facebook post from the other day, you know how much I adore ring detail portraits. And these were some of my favorite!
The florals around their reception area were gorgeous. And don't get me started on the navy blue and rose gold tones. Makes my Pinterest loving heart so stinking happy!
Is this not the most gorgeous set you've ever seen?!
All of the old chairs gave the space just the right amount of vintage!
The ceremony site:
The bride getting ready:
Her dapper groom:
And the very first look:
I really adore this image!
Ok well how stinking adorable is his reaction?!?
Yeah these two definitely win the most adorable couple ever.
You might just find me under a willow tree for the rest of my life.
After the bride and groom portraits, we dove right into family and wedding party portraits!
And then, it was time for the ceremony!
Typically we try to sneak in golden hour/sunset portraits after the ceremony, but mother nature just wasn't having that. But how cool is that dark blue sky with those willows? I LOVE these so much!
It was then time to tuck inside the tent as the rain started coming down!
It was a beautiful day for the couple (even with the rain that just wouldn't quit). I hope they love these images and they cherish them for a lifetime.
Congratulations, Drew + Dani. You two are perfect for each other.
Just engaged and interested in wedding photography? Let's chat!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Another Lu Roo & Co collaboration with Marie Grace Photography was the "Gimme Some Lovin'" giveaway. Late last winter, we opened up to have women nominate someone they know and love or even themselves to win a pampering session! As women ourselves, we know how important it is that we take care of ourselves and take time for a little self care. Of course, that's always easier said than done. Sometimes there just isn't enough time. Or enough help. Or enough money.
We get that.
So we wanted to give back to five women in the community. To give them a little time to feel special and appreciated. To feel seen.
Each of these five women won the opportunity to have a spray tan, professional hair and makeup done, TWO ENTIRE (yes, from head to toe) outfits and a photo shoot.
The nominations poured in. In fact, I believe there were over 200. It was so humbling to go through them and read the stories of the nominations. And it was SO hard to choose. So, so hard. Somehow we managed to get it done, and we set the date to have the lovely ladies come in for their pampering day.
On a gorgeous May Saturday, five incredible women came in to the store. And each one of them touched our hearts. Their stories had a mix of struggle, determination and sheer heartbreak. But on this day they got to feel appreciated. They felt beautiful. And their smiles were so big.
It was an honor to be a part of this collaboration and I am grateful to all of the businesses and to the 5 wonderful, strong women.
"The world needs strong women. Women who will lift and build others, who will love and be loved. Women will live bravely, both tender and fierce. Women of indomitable will." -Amy Tenney
The girls with the spirit of giving back herself, Miss. Stephani.
"She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. She walked with the universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings." - Ariana
"A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey... But a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong." -Unknown
"And one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire. And that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears." -Mark Anthony
"This is for the woman alone, wide awake but tired. This is for the woman who sits in darkness under the moon reading this with tears in her eyes. You're strong. You're good enough. You will be ok." -r.h. Sin
"Be bold enough to use your voice, brave enough to listen to your heart, and strong enough to live the life you've imagined." -Unknown
And my personal favorite:
"I am a woman with thoughts and questions and shit to say. I say if I'm beautiful. I say if I'm strong. You will not determine my story - I will." -Amy Schumer
I hope each and every one of these ladies remember how special they felt this day. Whether they were one of the nominations or whether they helped to make this day special. Hold that feeling and keep it with you, always.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO:
Stephani & Colette of Lu Roo & Co
Brooke Bryan of Sully Tans
Monica Hudnut of Impressions Salon
Amy Ferguson-Miller
Jalessa Hohensee
ChyAnne & Dylann Huyser
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Way back in April when the sun shined and it didn't rain 6 out of the 7 days of the week, Marie Grace Photography teamed up with Lu Roo & Co out of Oskaloosa for a styled shoot with Miss. Brianna, who happens to be a 2020 MGP Senior Model!
The ladies at the shop let us get creative and have free reign over the outfits and it was SO stinking hard to choose! They helped us finish up and style a few outfits, too! I think by the time Brianna arrived, we had picked out at least 12 different outfits for her to choose from. Poor girl had to narrow it down to 3 from there!
We had a ton of fun hanging around The Alley in Osky! It is such a cool spot and it happens to be conveniently located just outside of the boutique!
Here is the first outfit Miss. Brianna chose:
How perfect are those stripes?! And those shades!!
Aaaaand her second outfit choice:
The 70's are coming back with this outfit and I AM HERE FOR IT!
F.I.E.R.C.E.
And finally, the third outfit choice:
I actually really love the wind and hair movement here!
If you love this last outfit, there are still some available! Click this link to find your size: https://lurooco.com/collections/dresses/products/get-carried-away-two-piece-set
This shoot was so much fun! We all stepped out of our comfort zone a little bit and did something we wouldn't normally do!
Another BIG THANK YOU to the ladies at Lu Roo & Co for being generous and awesome, as always!
Want to be a part of an MGP Senior Model Team? CLICK HERE to get in touch with me!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Today we will also be featuring Miss. Riley from Montezuma High School on the blog!
Riley contacted MGP for her senior session pretty late in the year and I was so stinking excited to create some awesome sports images with her! If anyone knows anything about Riley, they know how important sports are! Her name is all over the school holding different records for the many sports she plays! What a legacy to leave behind! She will also be heading on to DMACC this fall and will be playing basketball there! I feel like I know someone famous now. I'll probably be name dropping her like crazy!
Riley was wonderful to work with! She was up for anything and kept up with my humor and landscaping! :D
But enough chit-chat, let's check out these images!
Who said track portraits were boring? Especially when you have that much hardware!?!
Peep the snow pile in the background. Thanks for the beautiful weather, Iowa.
Mostly just kidding. We lucked out and really did have a gorgeous day for Riley's shoot!
BEAST MODE.
These were, by far, my favorite sports portraits I have ever taken. Riley is amazing!
I can't thank you, Riley & Jennifer, enough, for letting me work with you guys! I loved having the opportunity to get creative with these portraits!
Best wishes as you finish this one week, Riley! You will kill it at DMACC next year, I am sure of it!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2020 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Oh Miss. Megan.
Where do I even start?
Your personality makes me smile (and laugh when I am around you). You have a heart of gold, even if you keep it shielded from most people. Your perseverance, both physically and mentally, at such a young age is something to admire, even if you don't see it.
And most of all? You are worth so much more than this little "town." You will move on from this tiny, no where area, and you will spread your wings, and you will fly. I have zero doubt. Your mind will flourish when you find your home and your people.
I have the highest hopes for you, Megan. Because you deserve them.
Sure, you will stumble still. You'll lose your way for a minute. But you're still just a baby. Let yourself live. Let yourself experience life the way you were meant to.
You are worth it.
Alright. Enough with the deep. Shall we take a peek at how beautiful Megan is?
Doesn't her makeup look 100%?! She did that herself!
We snuck in some family portraits for the Edmundson's too. How perfect is this spot and this tree?
She just loves him and Ben is doing a good job at tolerating it for a minute. Aren't siblings fun?
We snuck in a cute one with mom too in their matching outfits. And yes, Megan is that much taller. :D
A big thank you to the Edmundson family for letting me work with Megan. It was an honor. Much love.
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2020 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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As we near graduation date, we have to sneak Miss. Ella in for her senior spotlight, too!
Where do I start with Ella? I LOVE her personality and her confidence. L.O.V.E I.T.
When planning Ella's senior session, we got a bit unlucky with some rain here and there, so she totally braved and ROCKED a sunrise session. You read that right people, SUNRISE! Can you imagine, getting up, hair and makeup done before the sun even shows it's beautiful face?
And it worked out so beautifully! Ella was a trooper from the very first shot. She even got in the water for me before the sun came up! It also worked out to have her BFF there as my assistant that day, and I totally didn't even know they were close! How cool is that?!
Shall we get started and see all of the pretties?
This was juuuuust before the sun was about to peak through the trees. It was super foggy that morning and I love how the fog just sat on the water in the background. Picture perfect!
Sincere giggles are my favorite!
See the sun peaking through the trees back there?
Did I mention she pulls off serious face REALLY well?
I am in LOVE with this country chic look!
This one was one of my favorites! It's actually hanging in the studio!
It had rained the night before and trees just sparkled. When the sun popped through the area behind Ella just glowed. It was perfection!
She has the prettiest smile!
Come on! Tell me that doesn't just make you smile?!?
Look at those SHOES!
So. Stinking. Perfect!
Ella - Thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me be your senior photographer. It was an honor.
I hope you're never afraid to go after whatever sets your soul on fire. You are good enough. You are worth it. Take the chance and take flight.
Ella will be graduating from English Valleys High School here in just a few short weeks!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2020 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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This week we will have our senior spotlight shining on Miss. Tianna from the English Valleys School District!
Tianna is one of the sweetest girls I got to meet last year! It took her a little convincing to try new things (hello, HATS!) but she tolerated me ok (which can be quite a chore)! Seeing these images again is seriously making me miss the warm weather and blossoms. But, they will be here before we know it!
I asked Tianna what she was most proud of this year and she said, "Maintaining a 3.7 GPA and staying on the A Honor Roll!" How did I get so lucky to work with all of these smarty pants girls last year? This last year has kept her busy trying to maintain her GPA and having a hand in Wrestling Management!
When I asked her what she is most excited about this year, she said she was most excited to about turning 18! Which, let's all take a moment to wish her a HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! :)
This summer Tianna plans on working and going on a vacation! As for her plans for the future, Tianna says, "Going to Kirkwood to get my General Education and figure it out from there :)"
Now, shall we look at her pictures and dream of flowers together?
I think these were the very first well-lit frames! She's a natural!
She can pull off serious and swee- small-smile pretty well, too!
Ah yes, the hat. It's probably not professional to say "I TOLD YOU SO." But, "I TOLD YOU SO TIANNA!" :D
How fun is this country girl set?
LOVE THIS SET! This was a fun one!
Couldn't help but throw that one in there, too!
You can never go wrong with a flag scarf toss!
Oh lookie there. Tianna looking cute in another hat!
I asked Tianna which "set" was her favorite from her session and she basically said all of them (well, almost). I couldn't agree more!
Thank you so much, Tianna, for letting me be a part of your senior year. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for you!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2020 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Waaaaaaay back in January we teamed up with the every lovely Miss. Caroline and Miss. Erica for a styled shoot at the AMAZING West End Architectural Salvage in West Des Moines!
The Professional Photographer's of Iowa had put on a class at that location in 2018, and right then I knew I needed to do a styled shoot there. After working with Caroline and understanding her love for dance, I knew that this was it! After the craziness of fall season ended, we were able to schedule this shoot. Sometimes I really love winter (slow season), it gives us a chance to recharge and get creative. Think outside the box a little.
And that's just what we did. If you've ever been to West End, you know that it's a fully functioning coffee bar with FIVE floors of AMAZING and unique/antique treasures! If you have not been there, you need to schedule a day to go! You won't regret it!
These girls were so fun during this shoot! Of course I have worked with Caroline before (to see her senior session, CLICK HERE), but I got to work with Erica for the very first time and she was just as awesome! We all walked around the place like we owned it (not really), but the girls really owned it as they trotted around in their dance costumes!
I know almost nothing about dance. Like, nothing at all. I asked the girls beforehand what kind of dance they did so I could try to do research so I would know what pose to ask for but when I was looking it up, everything looked so similar! However, after we got there, the girls had NO problem taking the lead with pose ideas, and we even had a little fun with each of them picking out the other's pose!
You all will be seeing A LOT more of these shoots over the coming years. Not specifically dance shoots, but styled shoots with different themes. It's so fun to tap into our creative sides and explore more into what these girls are capable of! And that's what the MGP Senior Model Team gets to do!
Enough rambling.. Let's see these portraits!
Ya'll. This one was HARD WORK! Caroline is amazing!
Can we get all the heart eyes here for Erica?
F.I.E.R.C.E
I just want to be like Caroline when I grow up. Is that too much to ask?
They even got to smile for a picture!
The girls wanted to do a little pajama set, this was all their idea! And the chair worked out perfectly!
And theeeen we went across the street to the parking ramp. That we eventually got kicked off of. The guy walked a little slow, so we had a few minutes for a couple portraits before he got to us.
**Side note: I do NOT promote trespassing. I did not realize that we could not be on the ramp and we promptly left when we were asked to. Don't get the pitch forks out.
To end the shoot, we reached into our inner boho for outfit inspiration! Caroline's pants were her mom's! How cool is that?!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Caroline, Erica and Susan for letting me get creative with you guys this last year. You all have been the foundation to where I intend to take my business and I am forever thankful for you.
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2020 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Here's a little story about business collaboration. Told to the tune of "Here's the story of a girl..."
Just kidding mostly.
Late last year, I decided to reach out the ladies at Bridal Dreams/LuRoo&Co to see if they were interested in working together. As it was December and Christmas shopping was at an all-time-high, I told them I would love to work with them when it was a little more convenient for their schedules. In January, Stephani and I met at Smokey Row in Oskaloosa for a meeting!
Let me just say (and I SWEAR I am NOT butt kissing), but Stephani has got to be one of the most kind-hearted business owners I know. She is always looking for ways to give back to the community and her customers. From the brief moments where I have worked with her, I can tell that she has the biggest heart. So, if you don't know her, you should. She's great!
There we discussed all of these amazing ideas we had and different ways to give back to the community. To start, we decided to throw together a prom dress styled shoot. We wanted to showcase what everyday girls from small town Iowa actually looked like in their gowns.
So we scheduled the shoot for a few weeks later, and in true Iowa fashion, we got blizzarded out. So we rescheduled for February, which ended up working out really well! It was still REALLY cold, and the girls we worked with were TROOPERS!
Stephani picked the dresses each girl wore and matched them all perfectly! Here are some portraits from the first dress set:
See? They don't look *super* frozen! :D
We were enjoying shooting so much that we lost track of time and had to hurry back to the boutique for a quick outfit change!
ROSE GOLD/DUSTY PINK IS MY FAVORITE!!
"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us."
- Wilma Rudolph
I cannot thank Stephani and the ladies at Bridal Dreams for letting me work with them to create these beautiful images. Also, a HUGE thank you to Jenna, Abygail and Molly. You are each uniquely perfect.
Marie Grace Photography and LuRoo&Co will be teaming up together again in a few weeks to give back to six lucky ladies who will be pampered, have new outfits and will get a mini photo shoot, so keep an eye out for that!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2020 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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This week's senior spotlight is completely focused on Miss. Lexi!
Lexi has got to be one of the sweetest, quiet girls I know! And today, you get to know a little bit more about her, too!
When I asked Lexi what her accomplishments were during her senior year and what she was most proud of, she said, "So far my biggest accomplishment of senior year is getting a 4.0 for first semester and getting accepted into my first choice of college, UNI." Which is AWESOME! 4.0?! YOU GO GIRL! I also asked her what she was excited about in the last little bit of her year and she said she was just really excited to get through this year and start her future! She did keep busy this year as she held her spot in National Honor Society and she was manager for three different sports!
This summer, she plans to hang out with her friends as much as possible but she will be working, too!
I asked Lexi what her future held, and she said, "I plan to attend the University of Northern Iowa next fall and pursue an early childhood development degree, most likely to be a preschool or kindergarten teacher." Let me tell you guys, I think she is REALLY excited to get into UNI this fall!
Lexi will be graduating this May from English Valleys School District.
Let's go ahead and enjoy some of her senior session portraits:
Lexi KNEW that she wanted to use this building right from the start. And it didn't bother me at all; I love this spot!
Doesn't her smile just make you smile?!
We snuck in a few family portraits during her session, too!
I LOVE the pattern in her dress! How fun!
Can we all just take a moment to appreciate this adorable little outfit and those SHOES? Red velvet, yes please!
From the building, we went to a ditch not too far from my house. I had spotted it on my way into town and knew we had to go visit there. I may or may not have taken a little tumble here. But it was so worth it and we all got a giggle out of it, because FLOWERS!
How killer is this set? Gosh I love gravel roads. And jackets. And pumps. And Lexi. :D
And then, of course, we had to find water!
This one is one of my favorites from Lexi's session!
We ended the evening with a few sets around Lexi's home!
Lexi said her favorites from her session were the ones sitting in the purple flowers, any if the pictures with the white chair in the field, and on the ground in the blue shirt and white jeans!
Thank you so much Lexi for choosing Marie Grace Photography to capture your senior year portraits for you! It was a pleasure to work with you and your family. I wish you all of the very bast as you navigate through these last few weeks of high school, this summer and as you head off to UNI!
Marie Grace Photography is now booking 2020 seniors! Click Here to get in touch with us!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Oh Caroline.
Where do I even start?
Caroline is a 2019 MGP Senior Model and to understand our story, we need to go way back to the beginning. To the consultation. I remember being anxious for Caroline's consultation because after my super stealthy Facebook stalking, I knew ahead of time just how great she was going to be.
We get to the consultation and I have all of these ideas running around in my mind. I knew her session, if she chose me, would be epic. As we discussed session specifics and ideas, I slid in a comment that I was planning the 2018 destination session in Decorah and I remember just seeing both Caroline's and Susan's (Caroline's AMAZING mother) just light up. I'm not even kidding. Just big, happy, excited eyes. And in that moment, we all knew we were meant to work together.
Over the next few months we planned and plotted our trip north. And what a trip it was!
We started the first evening at the waterfalls. It was warm out. Mid-summer. I figured the water would be warm too. Nope. It was freeeezing. But it was so worth it! Caroline was an absolute trooper in the freezing cold water, and you can barely tell that she almost had frostbite (only almost kidding)!
We finished the evening in town for a few more shots with plans to start first thing the next morning.
After a few attempts to find each other in an unknown town, we finally made contact and got right to work. We had some amazing scenery and background from Caroline's session, and I am so excited to share them with you. You have probably seen a few (ok a lot) of these on my social media throughout the last year. I just love them all so much!
______________________________________________________________
So, now for Caroline's part (from the senior spotlight). Sorry I got rambly. But Caroline is so awesome and I can't help it.
#sorrynotsorry
I asked Caroline what her major accomplishments were from her senior year. She replied with, "My major accomplishments this year have been: being captain of the dance team, receiving 3rd and 5th places at State Dance, being inducted into National Honor Society, receiving silver cord, and attending Girls State as well as Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. However, what I am most proud of is my ability to handle difficult circumstances."
Throughout her high school career, Caroline has been involved in Musicals, FFA, NHS, Dance Team, Studio Royale, and Jr. Optimist Club. To finish off her senior year, Caroline is looking forward to her final showcase for Dance Team and her graduation party! After graduation, she is looking forward to her trip to Hawaii (JEALOUS) and working!
After graduation, Caroline plans to attend St. Mary's University in Minnesota to double major in Psychology and Human Services. While she is there, she intends on continuing to dance and volunteer.
Now that we all have a good idea of how great Caroline is, let's have a look at her portraits!
How fierce is this?!
Doesn't it look like time just stood still here?
A genuine giggle!
I looooove this one!
That one too!
I just absolutely adore the texture in the stone wall. And I adore Caroline of course. :)
All of a sudden I am getting the urge to go back to Decorah. Anyone else?
As you all have probably witnessed, this spot was one of my absolute favorites. EVER.
The look Caroline gets when she sees the cutest doggo ever.
Also, it should be known that I faced my fears of heights at this moment. It was kind of a big deal.
While out and about, Caroline and Susan told us of this wonderful little boutique in town that they often visit while up north. So, of course we had to check it out. And it was a perfect spot for portraits. I was in LOVE with their little shop. To see more, and in case you're ever in the area, check out Modish Decorah.
Did you all see those shoes?!
This adorable hat has since been added to the MGP Closet!
And that, my friends, was an experience. This session was not one I will soon forget.
Thank you so very much, to Caroline and Susan for taking part and being willing to go along with my crazy ideas. You two have a special place in my heart. Caroline, I am so very excited to see where this world will take you. You have big things in store for you.
"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."
- C.S. Lewis
Don't worry, you will see the blog from Caroline's styled session in January of 2019 very soon! Stay tuned!
Are you in search of a senior photographer that will tell your story? Reach out to me now! It's not too early to set up your session!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Next up for MGP Senior Spotlight is Miss Bailey Harward!
Bailey is graduating this year form Davis County High School in Bloomfield, Iowa. She was involved in FFA, FEA, National Honor Society, and Student Council. She is a Class Officer, on the Yearbook Staff, on the Prom Committee, and she is a Blood Drive Coordinator. So you could basically say that she is a busy girl!
When asked what she is most proud of, Bailey answered, "I am so proud of how hard I have worked to maintain my 4.02 GPA. I have made National Honor Society and am on track to graduate with high honors. I also am FFA sub-district Vice President which is super exciting and just excited about graduating in general!" She said she is so excited for her senior trip before she graduates and soaking up all of her senior lasts.
I asked Bailey what she is looking forward to this summer, and she said, "I love summer because that means the fair! I am so excited to get back into the show ring and show my horse and whatever else livestock I decide to take! I will exhibit my photography and also be running for our Davis County Fair Queen. Last year I had so much fun in the Queen contest! I was 2nd runner up and I look forward to running again!"
So who is up for a road trip to the Davis County Fair to check out Bailey's photography? :D
After graduation, Bailey plans to attend Indian Hills to finish the degree she has already began to work on. After graduation from IHCC (which will most likely be less than 2 years) she will transfer to Buena Vista to major in Elementary Education!
Now for the fun pictures! Bailey had her session super early in 2018. I had never had a senior have her session so early, but I was totally up for it. And getting to work in a season with amazing floral blooms was TOTALLY worth it.
Bailey wanted to have her session around their family farm. As you have read, you understand that agriculture is a huge part of her life, and she wanted to document that in her senior portraits.
So, back in early May, I traveled down to their farm in Floris!
The blue in her shirt really made her eyes pop!
You always have to have a little fun!
Here are some of the amazing floral blooms from her session!
And the other gorgeous florals. One of my favorite sets, ever!
And a lot more of Bailey's personality shining through.
I asked Bailey what her favorite part about her session was, and she replied with, "Because I lost both my dog, Cross and my horse, Snoop this year, I love having those memories with having them there for my senior pictures! I also love the fun splashing that we did in the creek which took me back to my childhood of playing in the water!"
Thank you so much, Bailey, for letting MGP be a part of your senior year!
I wish you all of the very best as you finish out the last few months of your senior year and as you go on to college! With your drive and determination, I am sure you will move mountains.
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
It's that time of year again; Senior Spotlight Season!
If you follow me on Instaclam, then you may see more sneaks here and there from my seniors. If you don't, go follow me. Now.
I decided to start with Miss. Carrington as she has actually already graduated high school and has started into college! How amazing is that?!
Carrington has graduated from Montezuma High School in Montezuma, Iowa. She is now attending DMACC in Ankeny, Iowa!
Carrington may not have been involved in many extra curricular activities, but she is very proud of obtaining the A Honor Roll all four years of high school. She was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, a college national honor society, her senior year of high school, as well!
When asked what she is looking forward to throughout the rest of the year, she said, "Being a full-time college student without technically receiving my high school diploma. I'm looking forward to meeting new people and getting done with college quicker than I thought." As far as the summer goes, she is planning on working, taking online classes on going on a vacation!
As for her senior session, Carrington, her mom, myself and my assistant did a little traveling through Keokuk and Mashaska County to find little treasure spots for portraits. We started in a little spot that I LOVE and have use before, and of course Carrington killed it!
Follow along to see our favorites from Carrington's session!
I am here for the tie-die come back!
LOVED the colors in this jumper!
We were walking around the Oskaloosa square and saw their adorable floral sets on the corners. We couldn't help but use the floral backgrounds!
When asked what her favorite portraits were from her session, she said, "In a small town alley, sitting down in the weeds, in the purple shirt was my favorite set. Also, the quickly decided pictures we took in Oskaloosa with the flower in my hair."
I had an absolute blast working with Carrington and her mom! She was a joy to photograph! I love how here personality and style shine through these portraits!
Thank you so very much, Carrington & Brenda, for letting MGP be a part of your senior year! I wish you nothing but the best as you already are into your college career! I can imagine with as much ambition as you have, you will do nothing but the absolute best.
MGP actually has applications OPEN for 2020 High School Senior Models! If you're interested in the MGP Senior experience (and the AMAZING bonuses that come with signing with the model team), CLICK HERE!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Now that baby Landon is nearly 6 months old, I figured I should write up his newborn blog! I know these are coming in late, but I can't resist sharing the cuteness from his session!
Baby Landon was the sweetest little peanut. And he peed on me too (I will point out which photograph he did it in and you can all definitely tell he was man-happy about it)! He was the snuggliest little thing, and he really wasn't bothered by the business of his big sister! Just a laid back little fella!
Of course, we started with family portraits and then tried our darndest to get a couple sibling photos.
Look at that little Hadley smile!
If you can remember way back to Sydney's Iowa City maternity session (if you never saw it, CLICK HERE), you can remember how much big sister Hadley was hamming it up during their portrait session. Well, once little brother got here and she had to take pictures with him, she was no longer interested. She might look at him a little, see if he was still there, but other than that, she was on the go-go-go!
Can we all just take a moment and try to guess what she is thinking?!?
Every time I see Landon I am amazed at how expressive he is! And he was showing it off when he was wide awake at his newborn photos, too!
The we got him to go to sweet sleepy-land. How adorable is this simple blue set?
Then we played around with some brown tones and a sleepy hat!
And theeeen we pulled out the little sleepy bed. How cute is that?!
And to finish off the morning, this was our last set, and this, my friends, is when he peed on me. Can you totally see how smirky he is about it?! :D
Thank you so much, Sydney, for trusting me with another one of your babes! I hope this little flashback made you smile!
Are you or someone you know expecting? Get in touch with me today and let's figure out a perfect newborn session!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Heading back again to warmer days..
Actually, if I remember correctly, the weather was absolutely PERFECT for this session! We got really lucky, in between breaks of rain and cloudy days to have the perfect temperature AND sunset for this family session!
I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous to work with Mallary and her family. To put it lightly, Mallary is pretty awesome. She is this super talented and driven entrepreneur (if you haven't checked her out yet, DO IT NOW: www.featheredfarmhouse.com) and she has an adorable little family!
The day finally came along for the session, and it was go time. We decided ahead of time that we would do the photos down on their family pasture ground, as long as we could get to it. It ended up working out so well, and I couldn't be happier with how it went!
If you make it into the studio, you will see a wall display of this family hanging in the order room!
How perfect are these outfits?! Mallary did an awesome job of coordinating!
Looking back, I just remembered how awful the mosquitoes were. Poor Beau got the brunt of the bites!
Of course we had to sneak in a few of Brys and Mallary being all adorable, too!
We snuck in a few head shots for Mallary's advertising too. Who said head shots had to be boring?!
I think if they kids would have let me, I would have taken photos of them all night. The lighting and settings (there were just SO many) were all amazing!
I had told the kids we were done and we drove back to the top of the hill. But when I saw this amazing sunset in the background, I totally changed my mind. WORTH IT!
Thank you again, Mallary, for letting me do this session for your family!
It's not too early to schedule your family session for 2019! Contact Me to set up your session, today!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Ya'll asked for the rewind on blog posts, so here we go!
Going back to late summer when Iowa was mid-monsoon season, the Schmidt family all got together for an extended family shoot!
How often do we make up excuses to NOT do family photos? Want to lose those 25 pounds? You work all of the time? The kids (and men) won't like it? It's just too stressful..
Trust me, I feel you. I have used all of those excuses too. But I have been on the other side, too.
I wish I had more photos. Of grandparents. An uncle.
These moments.. we won't get them back.
Clients ask me. "Alley, how do we make it work?" And I honestly just tell them that they just have to book it. Just pick a date and go with it. If you never schedule it, it will never get done. Sure, you can schedule out a ways to make it possible for everyone, that's not a problem.
I had a handful of extended family sessions last year and I was tickled to do them for these families! I try to make these sessions as stress-free and efficient as possible, and as far as I know, everyone was pleased with the process while we were there!
There's the big group! How good looking are they?!
Extended family sessions are not just for the one big picture! We leave plenty of time for individual families, too! We were a tad limited on what our posing options were for this shoot, thanks to the aforementioned monsoon. But we made it work!
Thank you, Vergene, for letting me do this for your family!
Love the idea of having a professional family portrait done but not sure where to start? Give me a call!
641-569-3534
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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We had our very first client of 2019 and she was the sweetest, squishiest little baby! I think I could have kept her in the studio all day!
Baby Hadley loved to be snuggled up and warm and so for the most part, we let her be that way. We got to try a few different things (including a police vest!!) and we just had lots of fun, overall! Mom and dad let me have free reign on ideas, so I got to work with lots of soft, neutral colors, and I love how they all turned out!
Of course, as we mostly do, we started with family photos first! This was the very first shot from the session, and look at that SMILE Hadley gave us!
I love it when parents love the black and white photos as much as I do! This portraits will be hanging on their walls very soon!
Look how squishy is!!!
Then we dove into a few solo photos of the baby star! Wrap by Lavender Lou out of Iowa!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Now to be all rough and tough (which, not to toot any horns - but how cool are these?)
I know it's hard to tell (especially from mobile), but this last one has the focus on Hadley, and I just adore it!
How sweet are these moments between momma and Hadley?! Heather is wearing one of our gorgeous studio wardrobe dresses made by Sew Trendy Accessories!
We got brave for a minute and tried to do a pose without being wrapped. And then she gave us another beautiful smile!
I love this soft yellow and purple set so much!
Another soft little smile!
And then we ended the day with a snow scene! This was back when it was 50* in December and January and was not even close to winter. So we made our own little winter princess set.
Thank you so very much, Heather, for letting me work with your little family! Baby Hadley was a dream!
Do you know anyone who is expecting and looking for professional quality portraits and products? MGP has everything you could need for your newborn session, along with a studio wardrobe to pull from, too! Feel free to share!
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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It's been a day or two since I have seen you all here. And I am almost positive you all are getting sick of reading that as my opening blog line. I always intend to be better at blog posts, but those kids of mine demand to be fed. Weird, right?
So, to kick off 2019 and for all of the new faces following Marie Grace Photography, I am going to throw out a, "Get to Know Me" post.
Because I know how much you guys LOVE to know everything about me.
Anywho. For the new kids on the block, I am Alley. Legally, it's Alexandra, but most people mess that up and since eye-rolling is considered rude, I have to keep my name manageable. Some of my nicknames include Bone (and all forms of Bone you can think of; Bone-yo, Bonehead, etc), Side-eye (ok, so maybe my eye rolls aren't managed), Alex, Alerandra, etc.
(Super cute photo of me by one of my greatest friends in the industry, Mariellen Youngdahl of TruYou Photography and Design).
I am married to Justin and we have three girls together. Ashtyn is 8, Abigail is 4 and Amelia just had her first birthday! We live on a teeny, tiny farm south of Thornburg, Iowa.
(Another cute photo of my tribe by Mariellen - she's talented, yo!)
I am not going to get into my past or my "why" right now. Been there, done that. Ya'll are over it.
So this will be random nonsense about Alley.
Most people that know me know that I love all things food. I didn't get this curvy figure by starving myself. :D But what a lot of you don't know, is that I used to be MUCH bigger than I am now. It was a short time in my life that I would like to pretend didn't happen, but it keeps me motivated to keep my body in check (while still living a happy life). So I also workout. You can see me around town jogging when it's nice out. Sometimes I get passed by the random snails and turtles, but I'm ok with that. Slow moving is better than not moving at all. I also have a few machines at my house (in my scary basement) to help me with my goals while still trying to juggle parenting.
I love to be outside if I can though. Nature is my friend.
My favorite color is purple.
I live vicariously through my senior girls. My favorite part about their session is picking out their outfits.
I love God but I am a poor Christian.
I LOVE traveling.
I am selfish. And sometimes I am unkind. And I hate that about myself.
I love a good Bloody Mary.
Cool Basil is one of my favorite restaurants right now. And I would really like to go there soon. Or now.
Leggings and big comfy sweaters are my favorite things.
And hats. I LOVE hats.
The Lion King is my favorite Disney movie.
Lean on Me by DC Talk is my favorite song.
Netflix is my best friend.
I cry when I'm angry.
Photography was always my dream. I just never realized until my mom told me. Cause moms, right?
I believe I have the right to make enough to retire someday, just like everyone else.
Hypothetical thoughts get the best of me more than I would like to admit.
I am always looking for ways to do better, both personally and professionally.
I am human, just like you.
This business has been a huge roller coaster for me. One of the biggest of my life. But it's my home. It's where I belong.
My goals in 2019 align with what I had hoped for in 2018 both personally and professionally. To be more present and in the moment with my family and my clients. To be creative and to think outside of the box. To offer the best experience I possibly can. To be strong in my faith and know my self-worth.
I am BEYOND thankful for those that have stuck it out on this ride with me. I am sure I have given some of you a serious case of whiplash. To my future clients, I am SO excited to have the opportunity to work with you! I hope that the MGP experience is everything you will ever need!
In ending, here are some behind-the-scenes from 2018 for you to enjoy and giggle at:
(Again, all photos by Mariellen Youngdahl)
Here's a nice photo of my camera covering my face.
And here is Hadley being adorable and me making terrible faces.
And here's Hadley's momma looking amazing while again, my faces..
Much love, friends.
Alley Tish
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney, Iowa's Professional Photographer
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Is anyone else FROZEN already?
I don't know about any of you, but these cold temperatures are killing me slowly. Ok, so maybe that is a little dramatic. But when I take you back to August with this session and the warm weather, the BEAUTIFUL sunset and a perfect little family.. We can all just dream of warmer temperatures together..
For real though, Shelby's family had a perfect evening session! It was actually a tad cooler for August standards, but that was ok since everyone had long-sleeved outfit options! Having their family pictures done around their home place was important for Shelby, and I always tell clients that I don't mind coming to them at all, so I packed up my gear and a few props and made my way towards Washington County.
And it was SO worth it! Seriously! Their property is PERFECT for pictures! They have this amazing old barn with ivy growing all over it, a beautiful pond and some acreage that displays an amazing sunset. A photographer's dream. I told Shelby to not be surprised if I just randomly show up around there again. HA!
Well, enough jabber. Let's dream of August and look at cute pictures, shall we?
See?? That barn!!! (This is where I would insert those heart eyes)
Aren't they just dreamy?
Now. This girl had me giggling. She was either giving me the side eye or growling at me. I feel ya girl. But isn't she just the cutest?
Momma needs to head to Sigourney to get this adorable print picked up! ;)
A little sister love!
How handsome is this kid! Lordy!
Big sister was sweet as can be, too!
And this is when we traveled down to the pond!
Excuse me while I go melt after looking at this picture again!
I feel like all of their family sets turned out SO GOOD!
Smiles for momma!
The big kids did not disappoint with their smiles, either!
And then we ended the night with these two being absolutely adorable.
I told you all these were going to be good! Do you all feel as warm and sunshiney as I do now? :D
For real though. A big thank you for Shelby for letting me work with your family! It was a pleasure and I am so glad it all worked out!
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney Iowa's Professional Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Back to August we go. It was hot. The landscapes were green. And the Branstad family was looking adorable!
I had the opportunity to work with the Branstad family in 2017 and I was so excited when mom got in touch with me and asked me to work with their family again this year! I couldn't believe how much Harrison had grown in that year, he was like a whole different little person in the one year. In his defense, meeting a new photographer when you're two and having her and your parents chase you around and beg you to smile can be quite daunting. But this year? Harrison came with his smile ready to go! He was hamming it up all around for us! Now, he was busy being a boy too. Exploring the world and checking things out! But I think this year's family session was definitely a success!
I loved the earth tones Chelsea picked out for all of them! PERFECT! Harrison was a little shy right at first...
But then that smile came right out!
Being goofy with dad and mom!
I love this sweet, quiet moment.
Then it was time to change into something fun for Harrison!
We played a little bit of peek-a-boo!
Looking like a little Iowa farmer!
And for his final set, we got to play in the water!
His BIG smile at the end!
Thank you again, Chelsea, for letting me work with your family! It is so great to get to see you guys and to follow Mr. Harrison around to see the world through his eyes!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
This last September, I had the honor and privilege to work with Dillon and Brittany on the first day of the rest of their lives! Of course, as it has gone, and as you have heard me (complain) mention before, there was a chance of rain. But the Good Lord smiled down on the couple and gave them a beautiful, mostly sunny day to get married! And I couldn't complain too much about that! It was a tad bit (and by that, I mean really) muddy, but Dillon and Brittany were troopers and we were able to get some amazing photographs!
We started the day at Dillon's brother's home while the pair were getting ready! I LOVED the layout of the home and there were a lot of great spots for detail portraits!
Brittany had an incredibly beautiful dress. I absolutely adored the color and the details. Everything about it was perfect!
I loved her veil too! It had the perfect amount of beading and details to compliment her dress.
Brittany won for favorite shoes of the year. These were AMAZING!
I loved her pearls for her jewelry, too!
And of course you know I have to take all the ring shots! :)
At this point, we went back into the house to work with the groom!
He was pretty enthused about these portraits! :D
Then it was time to find the bride and capture the final moments of her getting ready!
And the dress is on!
So then it was time for the first look! Due to the muddy conditions, we had to change things up just a little, but it all worked out perfectly!
You've got to love that brotherly bond!
First looks are my favorite!
From there, we dove right into bride & groom portraits!
I hope they always find a reason to laugh like this with each other!
It was time for a new location, so we moved to the Expo in Sigourney (where the ceremony and reception was held)!
Both the bride and groom had a great group of friends and family standing with them!
After a few family photos, it was time for the big moment!
They're married!
I LOVED their backdrop!
After a quick bite to eat, we snuck outside for a few golden hour portraits!
It was time for the first dance back in the reception!
After that was finished up, the couple danced the evening away with their friends and family surrounding them!
Thank you, Dillon and Brittany, for choosing Marie Grace Photography to be there to capture your special day!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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I have been lucky enough to work with Melissa and her little ones a couple of times now, and we have been planning on getting dad in to some portraits as well! So we scheduled it out for an evening early this fall and made it work! It ended up being kind of chilly out, so we started out at one of my favorite locations and then went back into the studio for a few of baby Emersyn all by herself!
The boys looked pretty good in their matching shirts and the girls looked super cute in their fall colors, too!
I think you guys will love what we caught from the evening! Melissa now has a couple beautiful canvases for her wall from this session! Be sure to ask her which ones she was able to narrow it down to!
Can we all just take moment to fangirl over the beautiful lighting? Yes, it's all natural!
So sweet!
How cute is big brother leaning in and hugging everyone like that?!?
They definitely had a few great options to pick from!
These little moments are just the sweetest!
We snuck in a few of big brother all by himself, too!
This is when we made our way to the studio! It would have been a tad too chilly for this little sweet thing!
Look at that smile!!
This is one of my favorites!
Such a big girl holding her head up!
We did a little fall set up too. Cause why not!
Seriously! She is the sweetest little thing!
Thank you, Melissa, for letting me capture your family portraits and sneaking in a couple of Emersyn at 4 months! See you again at 8 months!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Going back a little while to when Rory turned TWO and Riggs turned ONE!
I tell almost every single client that I work with that between the ages 1-4, you NEVER know what you're going to get. Toddlers and young kids are like little Jekylls and Hydes. You just never know who you will be greeted with. Especially when you add in the stress of getting pictures taken!
For our first session, Rory decided that for his second birthday pictures, right from the start, that he was going to run the show. Momma and I both made multiple attempts to sway his decision otherwise, but he was head-strong (we will go ahead and just blame dad here ;) ) and was determined to not show me his smiles too many times.
Even though we didn't capture as many smiles and bright eyes as we had hoped for, I still love these. I love the somber look Rory has sometimes. Or the very inquisitive eyes he has for nature and the outdoors! Sometimes if we just slow down and look at the world like a two year old does, we would be much happier, even without all of the smiles!
(Be sure to keep scrolling to see Rigg's first birthday portraits, too!)
This first portrait from the session CRACKS ME UP! How can you not think that little face is adorable?!
He's trying awful hard not to smile at me!
Not going to lie.. those lashes make me crazy jealous!
Just a boy.. being a boy..
One of the moments we were practically doing back flips to get him to look at us. And he wasn't having any of it! But look at that little smile!
This one he was smiling at his momma! How precious is that?
Little fella trying to smile through it all!
As for Riggs, he was ready to ham it up for the camera for the pictures! The weather was questionable (because when has it NOT this late summer/fall) and we got sprinkled on just a little, but it still ended up being a perfect evening! We were able to capture a couple family photos for them all too!
I spy two SMILING boys! I call this sweet success!
BIG boys playing on BIG toys!
These boys sure know how to start their solo portraits! This is the first one from Rigg's and of course, I giggle at this one too!
I can't get over this one. What a little HAM!
Seriously.. Looking back through these.. His little crooked smile! He was trying SO hard!
Look at that little face!
Those eyes!
We came back to the studio for a little cake smashing for the boys! The cakes were adorable! Brandi from B's Sweet Treats (on the Sigourney square) did a great job! The backdrop was the same one they used for their actual birthday party!
Look at Riggs look at the cake! :D
I have had the pleasure to work with this family throughout the last two and a half years. We have worked together through lots of highs and even some lows. This little crew has a special spot in my heart! Thank you SO much for letting me be a part of your boys growing up, Dakota. It means more to me than you know!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Brock + Jessica Little
Way back in July, there was a perfect little (see what I did there?) wedding outside of Marengo, Iowa at a perfect venue with a perfect couple!
After forecasts of possible rain, Brock and Jessica ended up having a beautiful day! It was a tiny bit muddy, but overall, absolutely beautiful! The sun was shining and it wasn't terribly hot for Iowa July standards, so we will call it as close to perfect as possible!
Brock and Jessica had a HUGE group of friends and family there to support their day. What more could a couple starting their way together ask for? Their wedding ceremony was an intimate event next to a beautiful pond at The Red Barn at Pine Creek Ranch (an up-and-coming venue that has HUGE promise - I highly recommend all newly engaged couples to check out this place)! Then they enjoyed their evening with lots of dancing with said friends and family!
You may have seen a sprinkle of these portraits on Facebook, but I hope you enjoy these on here, too!
I am obsessed with these blush and ivory gowns that are in style right now! Jessica's dress was nothing short of perfection!
Of course we had to add a few photos of the twins' shoes too!
After all of the lovely detail portraits were taken, we went inside the adorable little cabin to capture the bridal party getting ready!
Seriously ya'll. These twins were MELTING MY HEART!
Then it was time for Miss. Jessica to get her dress on!
Mom helping with the final little pieces.
Of course, she needed a little bit of help!
You guys are melting too now, right?!?
All of the girls are ready!
So then we head over to catch Brock finish up getting ready, too!
And now the guys are ready, too!
We crossed the road for a few bridal portraits of just Jessica. Isn't she stunning?
So then it was time for one of the best parts of the day.. The First Look!
This venue really does have a ton of amazing locations for portraits!
One of my favorite images from the day! These two are stunning together!
We jumped to yet another location for a couple more portraits!
I could have photographed them all day long, but there was still a lot of of other photographs to take!
I told you they had a big group of friends and family!
After some family photographs, it was time for the ceremony! And I think the happy couple was more than ready!
I spy a special little engraving on the post!
And they're married!
A quick snap under the arch that was made just for these two!
I'm telling you, check out this venue! The white is BEAUTIFUL and I love how clean and classy it photographs!
Always love a good toast! And the sister of the bride got a little saucy with hers (as you can tell)!
Their first dance was so pretty!
And of course we ended the evening with some sun-drenched, sun-flared sunset portraits! What better way to end a perfect little wedding day?
Thank you, Brock and Jessica, for letting me be a part of your very special day!
Even though, at this time, I am not taking on any wedding clients of my own, I am still very much involved in the wedding photography scene working with another photographer! To learn more about wedding services offered, Contact Me!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Every once in a while you have to try something new. You just have to.
Otherwise, you get stuck in the same rut. Doing the same thing. At the same place. Over and over again.
So you branch out. You get out of your comfort zone. Out of your "norm." And you just try it. Sure, you may struggle a little (or maybe a lot), but more often than not, the outcome is worth it.
Generally speaking, when people see my work, one of the words that probably come to their minds is country. I LOVE the country. Open fields, flowers, trees.. You name, I love it. Oh, except for the bugs that come with the country. But ya know..
When Sydney booked Sedivec baby number two Grow With Me plan, I knew I was ready to try something new. And since maternity sessions are free for MGP mommas, I knew that it was time to try it. Of course, I discussed this with Sydney ahead of time. She had an AMAZING country maternity session with Hadley, so we felt safe branching out just a bit.
So we made plans for a city maternity shoot. I had never done one before and she was up for it - so we scheduled it! We planned to meet in Iowa City and do her session there. Of course, being the country bumpkins that we BOTH are, we struggled with finding the right place, and getting to it, but we gave ourselves some grace. :)
I had one of my very best photography friends (aka photography mom) meet me in Iowa City to do Sydney's shoot. Why not have a little fun with it?
We finally landed at the same place and we got right to work!
Of course, Hadley stole the show from the very beginning! She is ADORABLE!
So after the Hadley show (aka, family pictures), Sydney changed and we had even more fun!
We tried new things.. (except, ya know, the sun haze. Lord knows I can't give that up!)
I think Sydney looks like her momma here!
After the little black dress, we changed into a classic!
*Maroon gown from Sew Trendy Accessories.
Despite the crowds and onlookers, the dresses that sometimes just won't cover everything they're supposed to, and the city smell, I think it was a success! I love how different these are, but yet are still the style of the studio! These images are just the ones I captured, but feel free to check out my good friend's work: TrueYou Photography and Design
Thank you Sydney for letting me work with your family again this year! It is an honor and I am excited to continue to watch your babies grow!
Want to schedule your own maternity session? Do you want to travel somewhere new? Even though I am based out of Sigourney, Iowa, I am more than willing to travel!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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I had the privilege to work with this adorable family earlier this summer to update their family portraits! After working around the weather, we ended up with a PERFECT evening!
This family has the tiniest bit of a spread between their oldest and their youngest (I can appreciate this, have you met my husband?)! Working with them all was such a blast; they were all working SO hard to keep Krew focused and smiling at me! He did his very best and he had quite a few smiles for his momma, too! I was laughing at the kids when I was taking their portraits together; the older two just sat there and smiled at me while mom and dad were doing nothing short of circus acrobats behind me trying to get Krew to crack us a smile. Of course, everyone's hard work paid off!
Krew has some of the best faces! I was testing the lighting here and he was making me giggle with his 'smiles!'
Such a little sweetie! I think this was the smile he gave me when they asked if he wanted to go see the fountain in Sigourney!
Such a little ham! And of course, the other kiddos look awesome, too!
That smile is worth all of the work!
So then we worked on chasing Krew around for a few minutes!
The older kids made it look easy!
So then we ended the night with the happy couple. Because anyone who has worked with me knows I sneak in a few spare moments for mom and dad, too!
Thank you so much for letting me work with your adorable family, Alissa! It was a blast and I really do appreciate it!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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It has been a day or two since a blog has been posted.
Let me just dust off my keyboard a bit.....
Alright. Here we go!
I was lucky enough to work with the Butterbaugh family again for their 2018 family portraits! We decided to have a little fun with the boys' outfits and the beaches out at Belva Deer were perfect for that!
I love how country this family is! And how very down-to-earth they are, too! And can we all take a moment to appreciate their sense of humor? I was seriously cracking up at all of them, especially at Westley when he said, "The Ginger is running away..." when Nolan was running away from all of us.
All of their family portraits were SO good! I have no idea how Melody was able to choose!
Of course, mom and dad took a few moments to create some cute images, too!
How adorable is this?!? I LOVE IT!
A little Johnny Cash love with dad, too!
These two!!! They are going to have SO much fun growing up together!
And I am sure they may get themselves into a little bit of trouble...
Thank you, Melody, for letting me work with your family again over the summer! I always enjoy seeing and laughing with you guys!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Keera is one of Keokuk County's newest baby girls and she is the sweetest little thing!
I had the great pleasure of working with this family when they had their first baby girl (one of my first newborns) and I am so honored they chose to work with MGP again!
Due to scheduling conflicts, we had to mix things up a little. We did some photos of just Keera in the studio and then I had the opportunity to chase this family (big sister) around their little home! Big sister is so stinking cute! Full of toddler cuteness with a side of sassy!
Having a spunky toddler at home and a baby with some tummy troubles makes for some sleepless nights (and days).
"Be strong now because things will get better. It might be stormy now, but it can't rain forever." <3
We all worked pretty hard to get these two in a photo together! So worth it!
Mom and dad being all cute with baby Keera!
Then daddy and big sister had to go off and be all cute and stuff. I LOVE this one!
The lighting (and weather) was PERFECT that evening!
Sweetest little moment!
So now we have moved to the studio and here are Keera's newborn portraits!
Big sister had a shirt just like this one. We tried our darndest to get the shirt to smooth out, but the little stink wasn't sleeping deeply, so we made do!
I love this little set! So warm and sweet!
And I really LOVE the soft colors in this set!
Once she fell into a deep enough sleep, we were able to flip her over to her belly!
For the last set, we did a few repeats from big sister's session! The ring on the toes and the coral wrap!
Thank you so much to this family for letting me work with you all again! I think they love these images just as much as I do and I can't wait for them to receive their photo order!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Double Trouble; Sigourney, Iowa Twin Boys Celebrate Their Birthday!
And they are going to be TWO!
Some of you have stumbled upon their preview of the infamous "Been Farming Long?" recreation! Mom was hoping for that photo and I love how it turned out!
Brekyn and Brieyr will be celebrating their second birthday soon and what better way to celebrate than with a photo shoot? These boys kept us all on our toes, but the outcome was worth it! I love their little country boy setup at the family farm! Grandpa was so helpful to get the cows where we needed them!
First we started in the studio for their "2" portrait!
It didn't take them long to figure out they would rather play with tractors than have their picture taken! :D
Then they were looking all cute in this set up!
Then we made our way out to the farm and the boys were in HEAVEN!
"You Been Farming Long?"
Being goofy!
Just like daddy!
Boys being boys!
There may or may not have been a lot of poop cleanup necessary after this spot!
We snuck in a few more family photos! You can never have enough!
Just before it was time to leave, we captured a few moments with grandpa. Not many moments will be treasured more than small moments with grandparents.
A big thank you to this family for letting me work with you guys this year! I can't wait to see what all your kiddos have in store for me!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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You all are going to LOVE these precious portraits of baby Emersyn! She was the sweetest little girl and she FLEW through her newborn session! I think she takes the cake for the fastest newborn I have ever had! And just wait until you see her little smile! SO SWEET!
I have been so lucky to have all of these baby girls in the studio lately! It's so much fun to dress them up and pick out their little sets! I keep changing my mind as to which set is my favorite from this one, and you will see why!
First we started with some portraits with big brother! He did SO well with her and he adores her!
Then we did a couple sweet sets for momma!
THERE'S THAT SMILE!
And then we had this totally ADORABLE set! SUPER SUPER cute basket from James Family Greenhouse and Produce (be sure to click on the link to see everything they have to offer)!
These little sleepy hats make my heart melt!
This set was super fun, too! We used the same theme/idea from mom's maternity session for Emersyn's newborn session!
I had a lot of fun working with this family already and I know watching Emersyn grow this next year will be amazing too! Thank you Melissa for letting me do this for you all!
If you are pregnant and considering a photographer to capture your little bundle's first year, be sure to get in touch with me!
Not pregnant but want to gift a special family a Grow With Me plan? Click the contact me link below and let's chat!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Russell has turned one and he had a little session to celebrate! He gave me a few smiles during the family photos, but then he was STRICTLY business for his photos by himself.
But, if you know anything about his daddy, you know how he comes by this honestly!
Look at those little smiles!
Russell has the biggest brown doe-eyes I have ever seen! ADORABLE!
Look at that little face! :D
There was a smile!
One of my favorite pictures, EVER!
Big brother jumped in for a minute, too!
THOSE EYES!!
I loved this idea that momma had!
Then it was time for the cake smash! This one is super special for the family as the teepee is a family heirloom!
His little expressions are the cutest thing!
Even being so into the cake, not a smile could be spared! That's alright though, he is ADORABLE anyways!
Thank you so much to this family for letting me work with you all again! You guys are the sweetest and it is always a blessing to work with you!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Sometimes in life, little girls are very protected.
And then sometimes, they're VERY, VERY protected.
I feel for baby Blayke. With twin BIG brothers and a daddy on the sheriff's department? Blayke will definitely have an umbrella around her at all times. And by the looks of it, she is going to need it - such a beautiful little baby!
I got BONUS snuggles with Blayke. After getting through family and sibling portraits, the poor girl was just whooped! So we decided she should come back in a few days to try a few more poses by herself. I am SO glad it worked out like that, because she was such a little dream on the second go-round!
Enjoy some of the portraits from her session:
The love between those boys makes my heart melt!
And because it was nice and toasty out, we went down the hill for a couple!
Anyone else feeling the "don't mess with my sister" vibe here?
The boys worked SO hard for pictures that morning! They were little troopers!
Having a little conversation with daddy.
One of the sweetest moments ever. Daddy whispered, unprompted, "I love you" to Blayke. I may have melted a little.
Then it was momma's turn!
We tried a little something new! Thankfully momma was patient with me!
We pulled momma's wedding dress out for this one!
Her hair is SO perfect!
One of my favorites from the session! That little smile!!!!
Oh, and that smile too!!
A little lady in red!
And then we ended the session with a little bonnet love!
I am really excited to watch baby Blayke grow over the next year!
If you are pregnant and considering a photographer to capture your little bundle's first year, be sure to get in touch with me!
Not pregnant but want to gift a special family a Grow With Me plan? Click the contact me link below and let's chat!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Iowa's florals lasted all of 2 minutes this year. Ok, maybe it was more like a week and a half. But I am SO glad we were able to take advantage while we had them!
Typically, maternity sessions are done between 30-34 weeks. In that time frame, momma is usually still in good spirits and not swelling too much yet.
But this momma? She was pushing 38 weeks at her session! AND SHE LOOKS FLAWLESS! When I was 38 weeks with my girls, I looked like a giant donut. Stuffed donut.
I tend to put my clients through the ringer with posing, trying different things and getting the perfect setup, and Melissa was with me every step of the way. Did I already tell you she was 38 weeks? And it was plenty warm out that evening, too!
Anyways, enough babbling.. I hope you enjoy the session as much as we did!
Our first spot was actually near a lilac tree, next to a dumpster. As some of you may have seen on my Facebook page, sometimes you don't need a perfect spot to make a perfect picture! Didn't see that? CLICK HERE!
Then we went to visit one of the alleys around Sigourney! Seriously - FLAWLESS!
And then we went out to this little family's new home! It is so special when a location holds an importance to the family!
And of course we had to throw the train! Dresses by Sew Trendy Accessories!
Then we finished the night chasing (literally) the sun! Watch for a little peek of this dress in baby girl's newborn session!
I am so excited to work with this family over the next year! I think we will capture some amazing things!
If you are pregnant and considering a photographer to capture your little bundle's first year, be sure to get in touch with me!
Not pregnant but want to gift a special family a Grow With Me plan? Click the contact me link below and let's chat!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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When I look back at this session, my mind instantly thinks 'country cuties.' Even the family portraits!
I am a fan of this little family, and I have been lucky enough to be a part of/watch them grow! I love Milo's little personality (and you'll be seeing LOTS of that) and Boyd's little smiles! Absolutely adorable!
As we have done in the past, momma prefers to keep their sessions laid back and natural. This session (for Milo's SECOND birthday), was no different! I packed up my gear and headed to Keota for a fun family session!
First we started with just Milo and the ponies. Momma had this outfit picked out for him.. could it be ANY CUTER?
Look at those sassy pants (that's dad coming through, right?)
One of my favorites from the session!
LOOK AT HIM!!!
Such a cutie - mud face and all!
Then we snuck in a few family photos when papa came home!
BABY BOYD! :)
Then we ended the night with a few of MIlo's favorites!
I love having the opportunity to do this for our local families! Sometimes when the kiddos are younger, getting those perfectly posed portraits just aren't possible. But these natural photos of them doing what they love are perfect to me.
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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I can't get over how much I love this maternity session! It was a smidge warm (but what else do you expect for early June) but the sun was PERFECT! I keep picking out a favorite and then changing my mind to a new favorite! I think mom & dad liked them quite a bit, too!
We started down the hill from the studio in Sigourney and then ended at one of my very favorite spots!
I am SO excited to meet baby Olson when he gets here! The love this little family has was pouring out from all of them (dad helping mom around and Easton giving us smiles even though he SO did not want to)!
So let's see those photos and tell me, which one is YOUR favorite?
We started out with a few family photos in mom's colorful dress! Check out big brother's shy grin!
Love these little moments!
And you can never go wrong with a black & white!
Awwww!!!
Then momma changed into a studio gown and SHE IS KILLING IT!
Since momma was looking and feeling so good, we decided to do a few more family pictures!
Look at big brother (heart eyes)!
We tried something a little different! Thank goodness Jeff was there to help me haul that chair back up the hill! :)
Soooooo pretty!
One of my favorites!
I love those little moments at the end!
I am SO excited to see where this year takes the Olson family as they grow and to be a part of such a big life event for them!
If you are pregnant and considering a photographer to capture your little bundle's first year, be sure to get in touch with me!
Not pregnant but want to gift a special family a Grow With Me plan? Click the contact me link below and let's chat!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Owen is one of my current grow with me babies and isn't he just the cutest?!
Since Owen's momma was due with him at about the exact time I was due with my youngest, we collaborated with a good friend and photographer for his newborn portraits, but I am so excited to take on the rest of the year with him!
Sweet little thing wasn't so sure he was on board for his session, but after a little snack, he thought maybe it might be ok!
Check out this adorable little outfit he had on! SO CUTE!
Getting a lay of the land!
He was such a little wiggle worm!
That little face.. ADORABLE!
LOVE this one!
Little fella perked right up after momma put his hearing aids in!
Sneaking in a BIG smile for daddy!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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I had a session a week and change ago when once again, the planets aligned and the little stars of the show were PERFECT!
If you have ever photographed children or have had your children photographed, you know just how exhausting a session can be. There's preparations. Outfit picking, keeping black eyes to a minimum, hoping for a shower. Then there's the bribing. Promising the world if they give the photographer just ONE smile. Possible threats are tossed around. Nothing too serious, but if a smile won't be made, the child will most likely be grounded until they're 30.
Then there's the session. There is always snacks and drinks on hand. Favorite toys. Anything to get that smile. There's chasing, crying, laughing, streaking.. all sorts of good stuff. And usually half way through, everybody involved is wondering if there will be any survivors.
But it is always worth it. It's worth the stress. The tears. The preparation.
Even if that golden smile never appears.
Because even if there is no smile, there is always a true depiction of the child at that very moment. Some are headstrong, some are meek and mild, and some are just out-right crazy. But you can bet that's what will be captured on camera. And when that child is grown, those true pictures will be what brings back the memories. The ornery smiles, the shy serious face or even those tears.
During this session there weren't any tears. But there was bribery. Lots and lots of it. SO WORTH IT!
One of the first FIVE pictures from the session.
But looooooook at those smiles!
I love this one. This is a rarity: the boys having fun AND giving me a smile!
Brotherly love.
One of our ABSOLUTE favorites from the session!
As you can see, the cuteness was kind of out of control with this session! And it was AMAZING!
Thank you again Holly & Nick for letting me work with your family!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Most times, setting up a photography session is an event. Family photos need updated, senior photos, newborn or baby photos. But sometimes sessions are done for different reasons. Sometimes for fun, sometimes to celebrate joy, sometimes to grieve, but once in a while, you get a very special client that just wants to put a smile on someone else's face.
This session is for Jeff and his smile.
After discovering cancer again, Jeff's family knew they wanted to do something very special for him to lift his spirits both before his surgery and during his recovery. So we set up a session as fast as we could to get a few photos in of Jeff's crew.
A sweet sweet in-law made these ADORABLE little capes for the boys to wear!
"Grandpa's Mini Warriors"
And of course I always have to stick the little boys in a wagon!
And for the grand finale, a Casey's donut smash! Word on the street is Jeff is a pretty big fan of Casey's donuts! So if papa loves Caseys, then we have fun with it! Of course, it was no hardship for the boys!
Pure joy!
A special thanks to Jeff's family for letting me do this for you all. You are all a blessing.
If you feel moved to donate towards cancer research, CLICK HERE!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Wishing a very happy first birthday to little Mr. Beckham today!
Beckham is my last little graduate of this round's grow with me, and I can't even handle the cuteness from his session! His momma was all about the Mickey Mouse theme and he pulled it off like a champ! I mean, just look at those ears! :D
It has been an awesome year with the Westcott family!
First we started with some family photos! Look how big those boys are!
Those smiles are killing me!
Then we got a few quick photos of just mom and dad! Cause they're cutie pies too!
Those eyes!!
Then Beckham turned the charm on. With those ears, how could you not be charming?
And ya know, I can not NOT do a session without pulling something cute from the studio closet!
You all know how much I love those little piggies!
At the end big brother jumped in to help with cake cleanup!
If you are pregnant and considering a photographer to capture your little bundle's first year, be sure to get in touch with me!
Not pregnant but want to gift a special family a Grow With Me plan? Click the contact me link below and let's chat!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Welcome to the world, little Miss. Riley!
The Wehr family welcomed their second child, a little girl in March and she is just the sweetest thing! I have had the pleasure of working with this family for a while! In fact, big brother was one of my very first newborns!
I typically do not do newborn sessions in-home anymore since I have the studio, but momma requested it and since we did the same thing with big brother, I thought it was a great idea! I still love the personal touch in-home sessions bring to my families!
Riley was much too busy to sleep for us until the very end, but that's ok! Sometimes those bright-eye baby portraits are just as cute! And she was so expressive!
Little Miss SO did not want to be swaddled! She fought that thing pretty hard - and she won!
Congratulations to the Wehr family on your new baby girl! Wishing you all nothing but the very best!
If you are pregnant and considering a photographer to capture your little bundle's first year, be sure to get in touch with me!
Not pregnant but want to gift a special family a Grow With Me plan? Gifting a family newborn photography is one of the BEST gifts you could give! Click the contact me link below and let's chat!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Honestly, where do I even start with Hailey?! I have been sitting here going back and forth with where I should start. Basically, any way you look at it, Hailey is pretty awesome.
She contacted me at the beginning of the summer last year and wanted to get her session in as soon as we could. Let me just tell you (and I am sure most everyone who knows Hailey knows this already), but this girl knows what she wants and is NOT afraid to go after it. And I absolutely LOVE that!
There is nothing in this world like a girl that knows what she wants. Confidence in a teenager can be hard to come by. Some fake it. Most don't even pretend. But Hailey? This girl just knows.
What to wear for her session? She knew.
Where to go for her session? She knew.
How to do some of the posing? She knew.
When I was getting my senior portraits done I was pretty much walking around clueless with my thumb up my nose. Just joking. Kind of. Not really.
It probably helps that Hailey is quite the photographer herself. I admire the dream she has (who wouldn't love to be a traveling photographer for Nat Geo)? I volunteer as assistant whenever she needs it!
Without rambling too much, I am going to share those portraits now..
Repping my favorite sport with Montezuma High School
How killer are those dress portraits?!
She had some of the BEST spots picked out!
And the flowers! She had the BEST florals for her session!
There is not a single image from her gallery that I dislike. Not one.
Hailey is going place in this world. With her confidence, her determination and her support, Hailey can never go wrong.
Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire - Jennifer Lee
Interested in more information about MGP Senior Sessions? Click Here!
Sigourney, Iowa
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We got lucky in our third Iowa winter of 2018 to have a little break for an engagement session!
Dillon & Brittany have had their engagement session planned since last fall, and I guess we won the lottery on that day. The sun may not have been shining, but it wasn't blizzarding and we didn't freeze!
We stuck around the Sigourney, Iowa area at one of my favorite parks (Yenruogis)! I loved Brittany's outfit choices and just wait to see how cute their little doggos are! These two are big fans of the great outdoors and they love to do some fishing!
I have been trying to figure out what Dillon said in this moment for a while. Brittany's face definitely has a story to tell.
Check out those killer dip moves! Nicely done Dillon!
Good dogs!
These last two were ideas Brittany had sent and I love how they turned out! :)
I am SO excited for their wedding coming up in September! I think it will be a good time for sure!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Little Miss. Hadley just had her first birthday and what better way to celebrate than some adorable portraits and a cake smash?
Hadley is one of my Grow With Me babies (yes, I have all of these babies that hit their first birthday at about the same time and I am not sad about it or anything). It has been so awesome to watch Hadley grow from her little tiny newborn self to a spunky, take-charge one year old!
Poor little lady was SO not feeling pictures that day. Until of course we brought out the snacks. Cause who doesn't love snacks?
We are going to go ahead and blame the no-smiles on grandma, since she didn't make it to this session. ;)
Even unhappy, she is still such a beautiful little girl!
"WHO WANTS CAKE?"
Cake is good. Cake is reeeeeaaaall good. :D
Thank you so much, Scott & Sydney for letting me do this for your little (growing) family! I have loved watch Hadley grow into the little spunky girl she is today!
If you are pregnant and considering a photographer to capture your little bundle's first year, be sure to get in touch with me!
Not pregnant but want to gift a special family a Grow With Me plan? Click the contact me link below and let's chat!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Sometimes the stars align perfectly and I am lucky enough to work with a beautiful family like this one!
And I don't just mean beautiful in outward appearance! I was a little nervous before the session because if you have ever worked with little kids, you know that it is always a gamble on how it will go. Sometimes they are Jekyll and sometimes they are Hyde. You just 100% never know.
And add the fact that there are twins?
BUT THEY WERE AMAZING! The boys were SO well mannered for their age and they did SUCH a good job! I shouldn't have worried at all!
The family rocked their session! We got lucky and had one of the warm days between our April snowstorms. Although the sun wasn't shining for us, we still were able to create some beautiful images.
So, enough chatter.. enjoy the portraits!
Look at those little faces!!
Oh my heart <3
Getting ready for baby sister!
A few solos for mom and dad.
When I grow up, I want to be as pretty as Kelsey! :)
I am thrilled to be working with this family over the next year as we all watch their baby girl grow together!
If you are pregnant and considering a photographer to capture your little bundle's first year, be sure to get in touch with me!
Not pregnant but want to gift a special family a Grow With Me plan? Click the contact me link below and let's chat!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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This week's senior spotlight is shining on the lone MGP senior boy: Noah!
When Noah's mom called, I had a pretty good idea of how excited Noah was for his senior session. Which was minimal. Minimal excitement. But in all honesty, that is pretty accurate for 90% of Iowa boys.
So I knew I had my work cut out for me before I even showed up. Because Noah's mom needed him to smile. She neeeeeeeded a smile from her baby boy. And I was pretty determined to make that happen!
I think that maybe after an hour of bad jokes, Noah decided to give me a little smile. Which is basically like gold!
Noah will be graduating from Tri-County High School in a few weeks! While in High School, Noah has been involved in various activities and sports including speech, drama, wrestling and football! He is also a huge fan of his dog and their pickup trucks! AND Noah is active duty in the Iowa National Guard. We all know from one of my last senior spotlights how incredibly serious I take that!
Enjoy the photographs from Noah's senior session. Be on the lookout for those gold smiles! ;)
He totally has that "I'm not impressed with this event right now" look going on.
And we warmed up to a smirk!
We'll call this one "Noah's smolder."
THERE WE GO! THERE'S THAT AWARD WINNING SMILE!
I spy teeth!
If you see Noah, be sure to THANK him for his service. It is choice not made lightly and a sacrifice few make.
Are YOU interested in joining the military? There are many options available, but here are a few quick links to get you started:
"Change can be scary. But you know what's scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving and progressing." - Mandy Hale
Interested in more information about MGP Senior Sessions? Click Here!
Sigourney, Iowa
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This week's senior spotlight is shining on the very beautiful Mileah!
Mileah will be graduating from English Valleys Community School District in just a few short weeks! I am sure she is beyond ready to start this new chapter in her book!
Mileah wanted two different sessions/seasons and we delivered! I cannot say how much I love the images from BOTH of the sessions (and I think you will too)! For her first session, we roamed around the Keokuk/Mahaska County area and then for her second session we decided to go into Iowa County to visit Williamsburg and Lake Iowa! We have some pretty amazing weather for both sessions - we REALLY lucked out! And check out her AMAZING outfits! She definitely came prepared to rock her senior sessions!
The first set will be from her summer session!
Enjoy!
Look at alllllll of that pretty GREEN GRASS!
And how fun is this romper/dress? I LOVE it!
And now, enjoy the images from her fall session!
That dreamy sunshine!! (No, I am not missing warmer weather, greener grass or the sun or anything). :)
That was fun, wasn't it?
"Beautiful girl, you were made to do hard things. So believe in yourself."
Interested in more information about MGP Senior Sessions? Click Here!
Sigourney, Iowa
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This blog is going to be all about sweet baby Jack!
Oh, and big sister Maci. Cause she kind of stole the show!
I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet this sweet family. I have only known them for a short time, but the kindness literally pours out of them. And if you know me, you know how I do not give out that kind of a compliment very easily.
Momma was such a trooper, coming in for the session all spiffy and photo ready. Daddy was SO attentive to his crew, offering to help mom with bags, feedings, etc. Maci was LOVING on her little brother, giving him kisses every time we turned around and offering to help pick him up, too! And little Jack.. He took a little convincing, but once he decided sleeping was ok for his session, he slept like a rock!
Be sure to find the special smile half way through this one - because it is SWOON WORTHY!
Look at those little John Deere bibs!
I told you Maci stole the show! Seriously some of the BEST (and the MOST) sibling images I have ever captured!
So much personality in this family photo!
Excuse me while I go melt over the mom & Jack portrait.
Yes this photo is large. BUT THAT SMILE! It deserves all the largeness!
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with this sweet family over the next year! Watching these babies grow is one of my favorite parts of this job!
If you are pregnant and considering a photographer to capture your little bundle's first year, be sure to get in touch with me!
Not pregnant but want to gift a special family a Grow With Me plan? Gifting a family newborn photography is one of the BEST gifts you could give! Click the contact me link below and let's chat!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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I have another little graduate from my Grow With Me plan! And isn't he the cutest?
I was lucky enough to work with this family throughout Sawyer's first year and it has been a blessing to watch him grow! This little fella has had a hard go of it in his first year, but he is so resilient and always has a smile on his face. Well, at home he does. We jump up and down like goons when he gives us smiles in the studio. ;)
Lucky for us, he gave LOTS of smiles for his final session!
Sweet little boy outfit from Bailey's Blossoms!
Cutest little Chicago Cubs fan in Iowa!
Look at that little pout! Oh my goodness!
The best little cake smash set up!
A fun little hoorah with lighting to end Sawyer's session!
Thank you so much, Emily, for letting me do this for your little family! You all are so very special to me now, and I am SO excited to continue to watch Sawyer grow over the years!
If you are pregnant and considering a photographer to capture your little bundle's first year, be sure to get in touch with me!
Not pregnant but want to gift a special family a Grow With Me plan? Click the contact me link below and let's chat!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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Today's senior spotlight is on the ever-so-talented and FUN Caleigh!
Caleigh has been a busy bee throughout her high school career! She is involved with volleyball, band, color guard, 4-H, FFA and trap shooting. She is also a MAJOR outdoors girl - she likes to run, lift weights, ride quads (especially in the mud), and go horseback riding! Caleigh will be a graduate of Sigourney High School later this spring!
Most importantly, and closest to my heart, Caleigh has decided to join the military after high school. Late this winter Caleigh enlisted with the Air Guard. I have SO much admiration and love for individuals that choose this life. The sacrifice they choose to make, just so joes like you and I can continue to live our happy lives.
Caleigh's senior session was nothing short of amazing. And I absolutely mean that. I think we laughed with each other at least 80% of the time. The other 20% involved heavy breathing on my part due to climbing hills that I just didn't think were *that* big. And I about passed out. From fear. Caleigh was all nonchalantly hanging off of a bridge and I was there sweating bullets praying she wouldn't fall off! But of course, she nailed it and it was worth it!
^^ that was my "pass out" moment
^^ aaaaannnd this was at the top of the ill-judged hill
Of course, Caleigh couldn't not get a photo with her doggo and brother!
If you see Caleigh, be sure to THANK her for her service. It is choice not made lightly and a sacrifice few make.
Are YOU interested in joining the military? There are many options available, but here are a few quick links to get you started:
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined." - Thoreau
Interested in more information about MGP Senior Sessions? Click Here!
Sigourney, Iowa
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When women support women, great things happen.
Well, when anyone supports anyone, great things happen. Really. Just as men do, women have this connection when interacting with each other. We just *know* what the other woman is thinking/needing/feeling.
Owning and operating your own business in a small town is hella stressful. There is so much background work that goes into running your small business. And it's EXHAUSTING.
But it is SO worth it!
On National Women's Day (March 8), I decided to do a small giveaway on my Facebook page. I had all of the entries list the woman they admire most. If nothing else, a nod of love and admiration to another woman is like a little virtual hug. And what woman doesn't love that?
Fellow small business owner, Emily was the winner of that giveaway! Emily owns Violet and Black Boutique. Her boutique is female-fashion centered and SUPER fun! I love the shirts she makes - in fact, I have an order for a shirt placed now and I am pretty excited to get it! To check out Emily's store on Etsy, CLICK HERE!
I wanted to do a lifestyle/head shot type session for Emily. It's always nice to have an updated head shot to use for your business, and I wanted to have some fun with it! Thankfully Emily was up for the challenge!
Here are the images we produced from her session:
If you are interested in having a lifestyle portrait session, CLICK HERE! I would love to chat and create a portrait session that is exactly what you're looking for!
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Melinda's Maternity Session in Sigourney, Iowa
This winter in Iowa has been an interesting one, to say the least. The last few winters have been pretty light with a few snow storms here and there, but this winter gave us some pretty great snow scenes!
When Melinda first shared her pregnancy with me and asked me to capture their second baby's first year, I was thrilled! I was able to work with their family and big brother Brayson throughout his first year, too! It is such an honor to continue the tradition with families!
We planned Melinda's maternity session months in advance. Just picked a date and went with it! Who would have known old man winter would give us a beautiful snow-scape for this session?
If anyone has ever done a snow session, they know just how COLD it is! But it is SO worth it! We started with some family portraits in the studio and then moved to the cold outside! Melinda was a trooper throughout her session and her maternity images are so perfect! Melinda has to be one of the kindest souls inside and out that I know. I love how she just glows in these.
Now, I don't know about all of you, but I am pretty well over this winter. When I look at this gallery over again though, I am like "ok.. winter is ok."
Like I mentioned before, Melinda has asked me to document Miss. Riley's first year! If YOU are interested in having your baby's first year documented with Marie Grace Photography, CLICK HERE!
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So who doesn't like a really big announcement on a Tuesday afternoon?
As most of you know, early this year we added another beautiful baby girl to our family, completing our family of 5! We have been incredibly blessed with three healthy, happy and wild girls (especially that middle one!) I want to be able to spend as much time with my girls (and my husband) as I can and in doing that, sometimes that means slowing things down a little.
Wedding photography; probably one of the most stressful, exhilarating and time-consuming jobs out there. Besides being a doctor. They also deserve that title.
There is SO much that goes into photographing a wedding. Especially if you're good at it. I have never been a photographer to book a wedding and just show up that day and shoot. I devote hours upon hours before and after a wedding to be sure my clients are in love with their wedding day gallery.
By devoting so much time to my clients, I was missing a lot at home.
In 2017, I met Jennifer. Early in the year I volunteered my second photographer services for a few of her weddings. After our first wedding worked together, she got this hair-brained idea and proposed it to me: She was looking to expand her wedding services and was looking to add an Associate Wedding Photographer to her team.
At first I was a little shocked. Jennifer has been a professional in the wedding photography industry for over 10 years and she thought my work was good enough to offer to her clients? No way. And does she know how sassy I am?
A few months later we worked another wedding together and we talked more about the opportunity for both of us. The more I thought about it, the more excited I was.
As of this new year, I have decided to join Jennifer's team at Jennifer Weinman Photography in Grinnell, Iowa as an Associate Photographer.
What this means for my current wedding clients: Absolutely nothing will change for you! You will still receive the same service you should expect from me!
What this means for future wedding clients: For the foreseeable future, I will be referring all wedding inquiries to Jennifer Weinman Photography.
What this means for Jennifer Weinman Photography: JWP will now be able to extend packages and dates to clients to offer a wider variety of services for different price points.
What this means for me: More time to focus on my family.
Through my services with JWP, I will run some interference with couples to schedule their engagement session and wedding details, but all background work (editing) will be done through JWP. I will be the main photographer (on selected packages) for their engagement session and wedding day.
I am really excited for this opportunity to work with Jennifer and be a part of her team!
For more information on Jennifer Weinman Photography Weddings, CLICK HERE!
Please Note:
I will be running wedding photography services under Jennifer Weinman Photography only.
All portrait services will still be run through Marie Grace Photography.
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This week's Senior Spotlight: The fabulous Miss. Brooke!
Where do I even start with how awesome Brooke is?!
When her family decided I would be a great fit for Brooke, I was so excited! I knew we would have a blast together, and that we did! We had an amazingly beautiful day in the beginning of August; it wasn't too awful hot and the sun was awesome! It was important to Brooke and her family to get some of her portraits done around their family farm, so we started her session outside of the Keota area, traveled clear to the mystical land of What Cheer and then ended the session in the Studio in Sigourney. All of that travel was SO worth it!
Brooke and I flew solo for her session, but during that time I got to know her pretty well! First and foremost, I know how important family is to Brooke. She loves her siblings with her whole heart and she is very involved with all of them! And like many other senior girls, she is involved in a myriad of extracurricular activities, too!
In a nutshell, Brooke is basically a tumbling rock star. Just wait until you see all of her medals. Which you will. She is also involved in FFA and her church youth group! Brooke will be graduating from Indianola High School in Indianola, Iowa this spring!
Those medals, right?! She even left me a one at the studio so I can remember her rock star status forever! :)
Brooke - You are so incredibly kind and your spirit is one-of-a-kind. You will do amazing things in this world.
"As you start your journey, the first thing you should do is throw away that store-bought map and begin to draw your own."
-Michael Dell
Interested in more information about MGP Senior Sessions? Click Here!
Sigourney, Iowa
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Since we are nearing the end of this school year, I wanted to give a shout-out to last year's seniors! So over the next few months, I will run a senior spotlight from all of my 2018 seniors!
To get this party started, we have Miss. Audra!
I have known this beautiful girl for a few years now. Her family has a huge part in our family's life as her mom is our daycare provider! I know Audra helps her quite a bit here and there with the kids, so I am just as thankful for her, too!
Audra is a senior at Sigourney High School in Sigourney, Iowa. She is involved in a lot of different activities within the school and in the community as well, including but not limited to Speech, Drama and National Honor Society!
Audra is such a beautiful and old soul. She has got to be one of the most intelligent high school-aged kids I know. When I say this girl is going places, I absolutely mean it.
Audra's session was at the most perfect time of the year - FALL! The weather was amazing and colors were so vivid!
So, enough chatter. Here are some of my favorites from her session:
If I remember correctly - I think this was one of mom's favorites!
Seriously.. How are seniors this cool now? I was NEVER this cool in high school! :)
Phew! How amazing are those? I don't think there was one photo in her gallery that I didn't like!
I want to wish all of my very best to Audra as she finishes her senior year this year and as she goes onto college this fall!
"You're off to great places. Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!" -Dr. Seuss
To learn more about the MGP HS Senior experience, Click Here!
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How could I have missed baby Hadley? When Hadley and her momma & daddy (and grandma too!) came to see me for her 6 month session, they had some VERY special news to share!
Being a photographer, I get to share in some VERY special and VERY personal moments with my clients. Moments like these little announcements make my heart so happy!
Hadley is going to be a BIG SISTER!
She was loving those jelly beans! And that was such a cute idea to "Spill the Beans!"
Look at this little pout!! And can you believe this jacket was grandma's from many many moons ago? I love it when clients bring items that have such a personal touch to them!
Anyone who knows Hadley's momma, knows how appropriate this is! :)
This girl is ON THE MOVE!
Such sweetness!
Still eating on those jelly beans! :)
This girl - so full of personality!
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
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Baby Riggs came to visit me in the studio a few weeks ago and isn't he just a little ham? I just LOVE this first portrait! Little fella needs to be hung up on the wall!
Romper by Bailey's Blossoms (LOVE THIS STORE!)
Those EYES <3
Chair by Von.G Art
I can't even with this cuteness!
THAT SMILE!
We even got big brother to sneak in for a photo! Sometimes I think these two look like twins but then sometimes they look so different too!
Those toes!
Riggs is one of my Grow With Me babies (and so was big brother Rory, too)! I am beyond thankful for this family and for their trust to capture these moments as their little boys grow!
Marie Grace Photography
Sigourney, Iowa
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Sometimes it blows my mind how FAST my Grow With Me clients grow. I feel like that is part of the "getting old" stage. Which I may or may not be excited about. :)
I have loved every single one of Beckham's sessions, even when he was still in his momma's belly! His 9 month session was no different! And bonus - this time he actually SMILED at me (well, they were mostly directed at his momma, but I am still counting it as a success)!
Enjoy some of the portraits from his session:
Ami said daddy is a big fan of Harry Potter - so of course we had to get a few HP portraits!
And can we just appreciate how dapper Beckham looks in his outfit?
I think he was striking a pose in this setup!
Oh my goodness - this little face!!!!
Not going to lie, the next couple may be one of my absolute favorite baby portraits I have taken to date:
FAVORITE:
And then at the end, because Ami was looking so awesome, we snapped a few of just the two of them!
If you are pregnant and considering a photographer to capture your little bundle's first year, be sure to get in touch with me!
Marie Grace Photography
Your Southeast Iowa Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
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LOL
Just kidding, I am wrong at least once every 5 minutes.
Things are about to get real. Like, really real. Again.
When my mom finally convinced me that I could make it in this business and I made the leap into photography, I wanted to be cheap. I wanted to be affordable. I wanted to be the one everyone could use that couldn't afford the good photographers.
And unfortunately, I have a big mouth.
One of my biggest weaknesses is my impulsiveness. More often than not, I jump the gun without looking at the big picture.
After about 6 months of being an affordable photographer, I was drained. I was so exhausted. And my family was left in the dust.
So I started doing some research. I took the time to learn the business. I took classes and joined organizations to help support the love of the craft. And I learned that while I was being affordable, I was actually spending money to go on these photo shoots. Most important, I was losing that time with my family.
Cost of Doing Business
It's kind of a big deal.
After I sat down and figured things up, I knew I needed to make a change if I wanted to continue doing photography.
I invested more time and research; went to more classes and joined organizations. And at the start of 2017 I made the switch. It was scary. Absolutely scary. I told myself that I would lose at least 75% of the clients I had gained in that first year. And I did.
But then I obtained new clients. I will never be grateful enough for those business relationships I had gained.
2017 was a huge success for my business. There was a lot of growth, a lot of setbacks, a lot of heartache and a lot of bliss. Each client I work with is a gift to me, and I try so hard to make them feel appreciated.
This year has started a little slower, but that is to be expected with a new baby. Of course I am cautiously optimistic to see how this year will go. I understand, just as much as anyone else the investment my clients make.
I guess my point with this blog post is to say I am sorry that I was wrong. That I didn't do my research before I jumped. And that I opened my mouth before I knew what I was talking about.
But I am learning. I am growing.
And I promise you, that I will always strive to go above and beyond as your photographer.
My Reasoning:
Photo courtesy of Mariellen Youngdahl of TruYou Photography and Design (Yes, I hang out with her a lot!)
If you are a photographer, I encourage you to reach out to your local organization. The knowledge you will retain and the community of friends/colleagues is invaluable.
If you are in Iowa, I encourage you to check out the Professional Photographers of Iowa. That was my first step of growth and I honestly cannot imagine being on this journey without the people from this organization!
Until next time.
Marie Grace Photgraphy
Southeast Iowa's Fine Art Portrait Photographer
Sigourney, Iowa
]]>I guess in true Alley form, I do things a little backwards. I *probably* should have started with this blog first, but I am only two deep so far, so I am going to chalk it up to pregnancy/baby brain. ;)
Anyways, to the thick of it. You are here because you want to know more about me, and hopefully I deliver (at least a short version of it for now)!
Background:
I am Alley Tish. My legal name is Alexandra, but you won't find me using that too often as it is usually mispronounced and misspelled. I was born and raised outside of a tiny town in Northwest Ohio (GO BUCKEYES)! Growing up there would be pretty comparable to rural Iowa, except WAY flatter and a few more stoplights. My senior year of high school, I met my husband (he was in his first year of college). After we had both graduated from college and were married, we decided to move back to Iowa to be closer to his family and the farm.
Currently:
Our family of five live on a very small acreage just outside of Thornburg, Iowa. Together, my husband and I have three beautiful and unique girls. Ashtyn Marie (7), Abigail Grace (3) and Amelia Carolyn (4 weeks).
I am kind of selfish, somewhat organized, extremely sarcastic, and passionate. Most days you can find me either working on photography background work (hello scheduling, consults and editing), being extremely lazy and watching random nonsense TV shows until my eyes fall out of my head, or just hanging out with my family.
This is a good example of the true me:
And here is an example of the 'public' me:
** These photos were taken by a VERY good friend and talented photographer, Mariellen Youngdahl of TruYou Photography and Design**
Business Me:
I have been a photographer for a few years now. In my first professional year, I ran my business as Cherished Moments Photography. After investing a lot of time, research, blood, sweat and tears, I decided to take my business in a different direction. And Marie Grace Photography was born. The name comes from my oldest two girl's middle names. What will I do about the newest little nugget's name? Yeah, I am not sure yet. Check back in a few years. :) Some day I will delve into the growth of my business, but today is not that day.
Photography is a very personal business. Heck, any business is still personal. The phrase "business is just business" is a load of crap. It doesn't matter, it's still personal. In these last few years I have come to find just how personal this business is. I have laughed with clients in this business and I have cried at home with this business. It's the nature of the beast.
In this next year, I plan to show more of my true self with my work. Sarcasm and all. Once again, I am at the point where I realize I could either really make it in this business, or I am really going to tank. But I am choosing to follow my heart. And the risk is worth it.
So watch out world, I am coming for you!
To check out my website, click here: mariegracephotography.com
To check out my Facebook, click here: www.facebook.com/mariegracephoto
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Now, for most people, this thought isn't even a blip on their radar. Because let's be honest, you have plenty of other things to think of! However, in my experience, I have come to find that having the perfect spot to get ready for your wedding can make for some absolutely stunning photographs!
Also, I know here in rural Iowa, finding somewhere great to get ready isn't an easy find! No worries, I have a few tips to help you find the perfect spot!
Option 1: Your Ceremony/Reception Venue
Many venues (especially newer ones) have options/rooms available to use for wedding parties to get ready in! This option is always preferred, just because of the simple fact that there's less running around and moving items from one place to another. I worked with a wonderful bride last summer who was married at Sugar Grove in Newton, Iowa. Their areas for the party to prepare for the wedding day worked out perfectly! For more information on this venue, visit: https://www.facebook.com/Sugar-Grove-Vineyards-and-Gathering-Place-123342057745998/
Option 2: A Hotel
Hotels may not be in every small town in Iowa, but you should be able to find one in short distance from where you need to be! For example, if you are in Sigourney, Iowa (where I am based out of), you can use this hotel: http://www.belvadeerinn.com/. Here is an example of a bride getting ready at this hotel:
Option 3: Bed and Breakfast/AirBnB
Also not widely available in rural Iowa, but I had a bride find and use one in September and it worked out perfectly! Here is a link to the area she stayed with her ladies and prepared for the big day: http://www.abundance-ecovillage.com/
Option 4: A Family Member's Home
Maybe none of the options listed above are right for you, and that's ok! If possible, find a family member that has a beautiful home/living arrangement and ask them if you could borrow their space to prepare for your wedding day! More often than not, I find that family members are delighted to help!
Hopefully after reviewing these options, you have a good idea of what would work for you and your wedding party! Of course there are other options not listed here, but this is definitely a great start!
If you're ready to start planning your wedding day and you're looking for a photographer that will be there to help you every step of the way, contact me to set up a consultation! Happy planning!
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- Always choose an outfit or two that show your personality? Are you boho chic? Bring that dress and head piece! Do you lean towards classic country? A cute sundress and a pair of boots are always fun to wear!
- Choose a classy outfit or two. In this day and age, this would entail a nice pair of slacks (colored jeggings) and a nice blouse. This time of year is PERFECT for florals - and who doesn't love those tops? Pair these outfits with a nice pair of flats or a pair of pumps and you're all set!
- Get out of your comfort zone! Do you LOVE the looks of this fall but are a little shy to wear some of it? Bring it anyways! I guarantee you'll love what you see!
- Have FUN outfits! Bring choices or have something in mind for me to bring that will add that extra pop to your session! Whether it's sports, dancing or Americana, you should have some fun with an outfit or two!
Montezuma-Iowa-Senior-Photographer
I always recommend to my senior girls to have a minimum of 8 photo outfits to choose from! However, bringing more is even better; you can never bring too many outfit choices for your session!
Also, be sure to bring a few extras:
- Jackets/blazers/cardigans
- Jewelry
- Shoes, lots and lots of SHOES!
Of course there is SO much more to discuss in terms of outfit choices for your senior portrait session, but this is a great start!
If you're ready to set up your senior session, send me an email at: [email protected] or call 641-569-3534!
www.mariegracephoto.zenfolio.com // www.facebook.com/mariegracephoto
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