Osterkamp Girls {With Their Boys!}

Katie and Colleen are some lucky mommas to have such wonderful little boys! This session was photographed on an amazing fall evening and I think that was captured in these images.

For being only 3 months and 1 month old, these little boys were the most laid back babies I think I have ever photographed! They were just so sweet. And so chill!

I think just from looking at the photos you can see how much these mommas love their babes!

Ethan and Abby

This is Ethan and Abby - two of the most well dressed little kids ever! They are my little cousins and they are super adorable!

Their session was mid-November...you'd expect it to be freezing cold, right? We were originally planning on doing an indoor session but thanks to gracious Mother Nature, we were able to take it outdoors. It was a beautiful day!

I have used this location quite a few times, but never this exact spot. It was quite the hike, so I was pleasantly delighted when Emily agreed to let them trek down to it!

Right as we were about to finish up the kids started getting rowdy; they were running and Abby took a nosedive - on the cement! Somehow she managed to save her tights and only get a little scratch on her face. She was upset and crying but as soon as I told her she could have a sucker, she sat down with her brother and gave me another great smile before we called it quits!

Where I am Now

As I sit and reminisce about 2011 I realize I have come a long way. I have always (and of course, still do) pour my heart into every single photograph that I make. However, seeing where I used to be compared to where I am now makes me realize that no matter how much heart you put into your art, it just won't reach its full potential until you learn the technical aspects of it.

I am so thankful for all the friends and family who allowed me to "practice" on them - especially my own two children. Without these opportunities I don't think I would have been able to grow as much as I have. Of course I am thankful to my fellow photographer friends and mentors who have provided me the opportunities to reach levels of achievement!

So, I decided to pull out the archives and see just how far I really have come. I definitely still have a lot to learn (I am a firm believer that you will NEVER stop learning - anything) but I am so proud of the progress I have made over the past year. Almost all of the photos below were taken in 2008 and some in 2009. I did not really photograph too much in 2009 or hardly at all in 2010 - I had two kids under the age of 2 and was just way too busy for anything extra!

In all of the photos, the 2008/2009 image is either on the top or left of the set. The 2011 image is on the bottom or right.

I hope to provide a good laugh to anyone who can relate to pulling out their "old stuff" and to inspire those of you who are up-and-coming all-star photographers!

Enjoy!