Michelle Kroll Photography-Parker Colorado Photographer

Dance, Dance, and More Dance…….

2012-01-27T22:29:00.001-07:00

A few more

from our joint photo shoot with Lisa from CSD and Veria Video. We got some great images. It’s been a lot of dance at the studio lately. Starting with Jenna’s Sugar Plum Fairy Portraits, then CSD Teams, Varsity and JV Poms at Ponderosa and tomorrow…….an engagement shoot for a former CU Express Dancer and current Denver Bronco Cheerleader. I absolutely LOVE Dancers! We get the best photos!

Oh Baby!!!

2012-01-23T16:44:00.001-07:00

Oh Baby…..Baby Neil that is. Baby Neil and his mom came in for his 6 month photos (Remember Neil from the Pumpkin Patch?). He was all smiles all day. Took a short break for a bottle and a quick nap…..then woke up again all smiles. Such a sweetie! Can’t wait to see the changes at his 9 month photos!

PHS JV Poms

2012-01-23T11:27:00.001-07:00

Ponderosa JV Poms came in last week for a team shoot and a few individuals. The shoot took a last minute turn and we came up with some fun ideas that we shot….but, you will wait to see some of those because it’s a secret! Varsity comes in next week and we have some ideas in store for them as well! JV you girls were too much fun and reminded me once again why I love photographing high school seniors!!

Future Dreams…

2012-01-12T22:04:00.001-07:00

A few of the little cuties at CSD. Little girls dreaming big dreams of future dance days. This was a joint shoot with Colorado School of Dance's owner Lisa Tuska and Veria Video's Dennis St. John helping out. Could they get any cuter? More images of the teams coming soon!

Sunshine and Sassy

2012-01-06T19:49:00.001-07:00

This week a friend of mine from Through Your Eyes Photography got together to just play with my daughter and my last summer’s intern Hannah as models. I took two totally different approaches to editing these photos because these girls have their own personalities. Miss Hannah is all Sweetness and Sunshine so I edited with a soft hazy look. And Miss Steph is Feisty and Sassy….so she got the more colorful look. You see, not only were we playing with lighting in pre-production, but I also was playing with editing in post production. A good image needs to be good SOOC (straight out of the camera for those non photogs reading). The lighting, pose and camera settings all need to be in place to have a great image. But, it still amazes me how when we take that great image SOOC of the camera and “play” with it in Lightroom and Photoshop what a huge difference it makes. The great becomes even better. It might be time for a before and after post soon! Ciao for now! Michelle

Just one…..

2012-01-04T23:21:00.001-07:00

More to come later….but got together with some friends to play with the ring light and get some sunset photos of Steph and Hannah. Got some cute ones but thought I’d start with just this one! It is so fun to see how my friends Kimberly and last summer’s intern intern Hannah edit their photos. We each have our own individual style! More to come……..

I’m a Stalker….I admit it!

2012-01-04T20:07:00.001-07:00

There are several photographer’s whose work I just love and admire. I visit their blogs quite often and marvel at the images. I don’t often leave comments but sometimes I do. They are scattered across the country and specialize in all genres of photography. One of those photographers is Andee with Crave Photography. Andee does not only photography, but mentoring and design as well. She also has some givaways! Right now she is giving away a fabulous lens for either Nikon or Canon as well as a lot of other prizes. One of the ways to win is to blog about her giveaway. So I am doing just that. Who knows I might just be the next winner! Until then you can visit the link above and check out Andee’s work! (And I will let you know if I win something!)

Nutcracker of Parker This Weekend!

2011-12-15T22:31:00.001-07:00

Beautiful Jenna (who will be appearing as the Sugar Plum Fairy) came in for some photos before the show this weekend. I’ve been so rushed with Christmas Orders that I only had time for a few quick edits. However, I promised her I would get a couple of sneak peeks up before the show…so here you go Jenna! There was a few more, that I probably liked a bit better, but didn’t have a chance to get to them today. I know I won’t tomorrow or Saturday before I go see you so I thought I would post what I have. You are so gorgeous girl and I can’t wait to see the show on Saturday! If any readers want to buy tickets you can buy them here. Good luck Jenna and you will get a few more sneak peeks after the show.

First Comes Love, then comes Marriage…..

2011-12-02T17:42:00.001-07:00

First there was

First there was Gian Carlo and Christina’s engagement session when my business was first starting out. Then, their wedding (yes, I actually shot a wedding!). Then, their first baby’s 3, 9 and 12 month photos. Now, baby number two makes four! And the newest addition is as much a Gerber baby as the first. But, with such beautiful parents I didn’t expect less! Where as their first daughter favors Christina, their second favors Gian Carlo. It’s probably a little too early to ask Christina and CG if there will be a third beautiful baby to photograph. We will let them get through the sleepless nights and the terrible two’s first. But I do love having my three…just sayin’

Family Photo Shoot

2011-11-30T14:39:00.001-07:00

Gary is a whiz with a computer. I’m not so bad with a camera. So, when my computer totally crashed last spring (at the height of graduation announcement time) Gary came to my rescue. He not only saved everything but made it better than before! So, when Karen and Gary wanted family photos I came to their rescue….ok, so saving a computer is a little more “rescue-ish” than family portraits, but still….here is the result. Got some real great REAL sun flare on the last one, so tried playing a bit. Still not sure if I’m much of a a sun flare girl (that’s so popular right now), but it’s fun to try something new. Hope you love them Gary, Karen and Dalton!

Congratulations to the Lakewood Tigers- Beating the Odds and Going to 5A State!

2011-11-29T20:03:00.002-07:00

Yep, they were ranked 10th in the State. Not much of a chance to be the top dog. But, game by miraculous game they kept winning. And winning. Until now they are assured of #2 at the very least. And I for one am totally and absolutely rooting for #1 for many reasons. So here are my top five reasons why I want LHS to prevail in the State Championship Game this weekend.

#1 – Because #3 Dylan Nelson is the QB and Michelle Kroll Photography did his senior pictures!

#2 – Because Dylan is an all around nice guy and a great athlete from an amazing family (okay, maybe that is more than one reason).

#3 – Because yours truly went to Lakewood High School and the last State Championship Game that I attended I was on the field….as a Cheerleader for LHS.

#4- Because the reason I know Dylan is because of his mom who also went to LHS and was also a Cheerleader.

#5- Because the last time LHS was in a State Championship game was in 1985…they’ve waited long enough. …it is their time to shine!

So, Come on Big Orange Let’s Go (insert, clap, clap…clap, clap, clap. here)! Yes, one of our cheers from the 80’s. Once a cheerleader always a cheerleader.

I’m hoping to be able to go to the game this weekend and see some old friends. If anyone out there in blog readership land wants to go and get tickets you can get them here. GOOOOOOOOOOOOO TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!

Thankfulness….Good for Your Health!

2011-11-23T21:11:00.002-07:00

Wow! Do you know the health benefits of thankfulness? People who are thankful are 25% happier; sleep 1/2 hour more per evening; exercise 33% more per week; reduce their blood pressure up to 10%; decrease dietary fat intake by 20%; and can live up to seven years longer with frequent positive emotions. No wonder I like Thanksgiving so much……well…there’s that, then the food too!

These statistics came from a recent Denver Post article I was shown that touted not only the benefits of being thankful, but the benefits of the very foundations of Thanksgiving. The fact that gathering round tables and the social connections we make while there are a fundamental human need. It went on to say that gratitude can help counter destructive emotions like greed, envy, and resentment because grateful people put less value on material things.

So, why do I have photos of this family on a Thanksgiving post? Because this is not just any family. This is my sister and her family. I recently got to visit them and take their family photos. I am so grateful for my wonderful sister. Although younger than I, she always seems to take care of me. She’s the person I call to laugh with and to cry with. The person who has known me since I was two and understands me through and through. She not only accepts me for who I am unconditionally, but always makes me feel like I’m the most amazing person ever. She’s giving, caring, talented, and beautiful. Inside and out. I admire her strength, discipline, and heart. And, I love her so very much. I am truly blessed to have her in my life. I for one am thankful for cell phones with unlimited calling plans. Even though we are many miles apart, we can talk like she’s only a few blocks away.

So, with that I wish her and you a Happy Thanksgiving. Be sure to remember, not only tomorrow, but every day what you are truly Thankful for. Your health will thank you back.

Fashion Friday

2011-11-11T20:28:00.021-07:00

This is a great outfit for a fall photo session or just a day errands. I put the pieces of this together on a great site called Polyvore. Check it out and put together an outfit of your own style!

Congratulations Maci

2011-11-11T14:04:00.002-07:00

I had an appointment in one of the schools where we had a lot of seniors this year and just happened to pick up one of the schools newspapers. Inside was an article congratulating one of this summer seniors for being nominated for a National Merit Scholarship semi finalist. Way to go Maci! What an achievement!

Seniors, let me know you you have any thing you are proud of throughout the year. You just may find yourself on a blog post with a couple of extra facebook images.

Congratulations once again Maci and good luck in qualifying for the National Merit Finals. I know you can do it!

Colorado School of Dance Students of the Year

2011-11-06T22:01:00.001-07:00

This summer we had the pleasure of photographing the Colorado School of Dance Students of the Year in some of their dance costumes. These ladies were presented their awards at last spring’s recital and they will have portraits hanging in the dance studio all year this year. They will also receive an 8x10 finished portrait from Michelle Kroll Photography. Congratulations ladies! You are all beautiful through and through!

My Blizzard Baby

2011-10-26T17:36:00.000-06:00

This snowy day today reminded me of a day 14 years ago. My phone was ringing off the hook, “Are you labor yet?” Everybody was asking! You see, I didn’t know it at the time, but a barometric pressure drop causes women about ready to give birth to go into labor. And, I was ready. In fact, beyond ready. I was scheduled to be induced in two days.

Then, it snowed. And snowed. And snowed. Over three feet of snow. One of the biggest snowstorms Denver has seen. The airport was shut down. The major highways in and out of town were shut down. EVERYTHING was shut down.

Of course, we lived in on three acres, on top of a hill, in the middle of the country. We weren’t going to be seeing any snow plows for days.

However, just in case I should go into labor, my husband and Dad (who was stuck at our house because of the storm) hauled out the snow blower and the shovels and attempted to plow our VERY long drive. ….for TEN hours. Yep, ten hours it took them to just get to the street. Only to realize we weren’t going no where, even with our four wheel drive.

Then, it started. Slowly at first. I kept thinking it was false labor. However, no denying. I was in full blown labor.

Okay. We will just call the county and get a snow plow out here. “What?” they said, “this is your THIRD baby? Don’t you know that each baby comes quicker than the last one?” THEY called the paramedics. And eventually, the snow plow came, closely followed by the paramedic truck. The paramedics were pretty sure I could make it to the hospital. They offered to take us. NAW, we said proudly…WE got four wheel drive! We can make it now that the road was plowed.

THAT was the longest drive of my life. Once off our street, we passed car upon car of abandoned vehicles that couldn’t make it home. It seriously looked like the photos you see from a war zone. Then, after what seemed to me like hours we finally hit the highway. The roads weren’t so rough and bumpy, the plows were able to get there, but the semi trucks that couldn’t get out of Denver lined each side of the highway. It was pitch black except for the running lights of the trucks and totally deserted. I kept thinking to myself, I could have had this baby at home, I’ve had two babies before without anything drugs. Or, I could have this baby at the hospital (I was going to get drugs THIS time). BUT I CAN’T HAVE THIS BABY IN A JEEP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE HOPSPITAL WITH ONLY MY HUSBAND AND MAYBE A TRUCK DRIVER FOR ASSISTANCE!

Then, (praise the lord) my contractions slowed. We made it to the hospital in plenty of time. Ryan Parker Kroll was born at 1 a.m. on October 26th 1996. And, after some discussion whether to put 1 am or 2 am on his birth certificate…….because you see, he was also born on the weekend that the clocks “Fall behind” at the precise hour that they “Fall behind”….he was pronounced a healthy happy baby boy! Whew!!

Named Ryan “Parker” after the wonderful Parker Paramedics that helped dig us out and followed us out of the neighborhood to the highway, Ryan must have really been glad to make it to that hospital as well, because he continues to keep us visiting them! First an eye cancer scare at six months, then a broken leg at a year, another broken bone at three, hernia surgery, eye surgery and finally his NF2 diagnosis at eight. We help to keep The Children's Hospital in business! Good thing they are so wonderful there. His doctors are FABULOUS!

Ryan has grown into an amazing young man with such strength and such a good attitude for all he’s been through. I am so very proud of him. So, on this snowy day, I wish my third very, VERY special child a Happy Happy 14th Birthday. I love you Ry-Ry. More than all of these words or any other words can say.

Have you Heard?

2011-10-24T20:11:00.001-06:00

Have you heard that Parker has a brand new arts complex? The new PACE Center opens this weekend! I was fortunate enough to be able to take a tour of this fabulous facility before it opened and it is amazing!

And, since I don’t have photos of the center….. and, I can never post without a visual…… shown above are a few of the headshots of the Dance Teachers at Colorado School of Dance that I photographed this summer. What does Colorado School of Dance have to do with the PACE center you ask? Well, CSD will be performing their Annual Nutcracker of Parker at the PACE center this year. A wonderful show that I’ve been fortunate enough to photograph several times. Tickets just went on sale and are already selling fast. Click here to get yours today! Take it from me you WON’T be disappointed. It is a wonderful Holiday tradition!

Saving Money for College–Something to Cheer About!

2011-10-13T17:24:00.002-06:00

A questions that we ask almost every senior we photograph is “What are you thinking about for after graduation?” Many times that answer is college. A lot of times an out of state college. Did you know that if you are a Colorado resident and are considering some select Western Universities that you may be able to save thousands?

Colorado is part of a trade program called the Western Undergraduate Exchange . This program gives certain students in state tuition at select out of state universities. States participating in the program are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

AND, if you are from reading this and you are not from Colorado, but from a state mentioned and want to come to Colorado (or any of the states mentioned) it works for you too! Now that’s something to cheer about (but you don’t have to be a cheerleader…or Pom)! Check it out!

(Un) Photoshop Friday….on a Tuesday!

2011-10-11T17:39:00.002-06:00

So….. on my Photoshop Friday’s I show before and after images manipulated in Photoshop. Well, this is a different before and after and not photoshopped (and not taken by me)! So, I guess it’s okay that it is on a Tuesday and not on a Friday!

This is my friend Laurianna Murray (but everyone just calls her La) and her REAL before and after. La lost A LOT of weight! No Photoshop or liquify here (for those that know what liquify in photoshop can do). She has been such an inspiration to a online group that I belong too, that she has motivated many in the group to get healthy and lose weight. I can’t tell you how hard she has worked at training and eating right. A true success story.

She recently blogged that she can’t believe that is is really her and the changes that have taken place in her life. Where she used to take a car to a 9-5 job, she now bikes to her own business. And, it’s her business that I want to tell you about.

Because of the changes in her life; that she has worked so hard for and enjoyed so much; she has recently started a business in individual health counseling programs, nutrition and cooking classes, meal planning and more! With a background in training for corporations she has taken her passion for health and fitness to the next level. You can visit her website here.

She does do health coaching over the phone for those (like my Colorado friends) that aren’t in her area. La, you look fabulous in your unphotshopped before and after images. Thanks for being such a inspiration and success story too so many!

Inspiration

2011-10-09T21:30:00.001-06:00

This is my Aunt Rose and Uncle Leonard. I won’t even tell you their age because you wouldn’t believe it (and they probably wouldn’t like me too!). Let’s just say that my Uncle Leonard’s birthday is not that very far away from my Dad’s. On Pinterest I have a board called motivation. It features photos of what I want to look like and serves as inspiration to achieve a healthy fit lifestyle. I think my Aunt and Uncle need to be on that board. They are role models for what healthy eating (even Italian foods!) and staying active can do for you. My Aunt plays tennis, or walks, almost daily and my Uncle is an avid fisherman. Aunt Rose is an amazing cook and makes all sorts of fresh healthy recipes. They came to visit a while back and now they finally get to see their photos from the very quick session that we did. Thanks for your patience Aunt Rose and Uncle Len! I think you should come back and visit again soon. Better yet….another family reunion needs to be planned. Steph and Chase were 4 and 1 at the last one, and Ryan wasn’t even around! I think Winter Park needs another influx of a bunch of Zerilli’s to come visit!

Belle

2011-10-07T20:50:00.001-06:00

Good thing Beautiful Belle had a two hour session because there is no way I could have just posted the few images that come with the one hour session. In fact, even cutting it down to these was tough. I’ve known Belle since she was pretty young but haven’t seen her in a few years. She has gown up to be such a beautiful girl inside and out. I’m SO glad your mom called for your senior pictures! You got some great great images Belle.! Hope you love them because I definitely do!

Baby Neil

2011-10-06T20:59:00.001-06:00

Little Neil is such a joy. He is a little over three months old and has such amazing blue eyes! I don’t know if he thought much about us putting him in suitcases, baskets, and pumpkin patches, but the images sure turned out adorable! I was playing with some actions that I have on these and had so much fun. Welcome to the world Neil! Can’t wait to do more photos of you in a few months!

Guitars!

2011-10-03T18:10:00.001-06:00

Recently, a friend wanted to see some guitar poses. So, since I had resized and watermarked the images, I decided to do a guitar post. It’s a little quiet (but still busy) at the studio as we place orders, proof senior sessions, submit yearbook photos, and just catch up with all the craziness from the summer. Thought I’d post some of these to fill in the lull of new posts. I do have a couple new sessions and need to post a couple of old sessions, so I will catch up with those soon. Enjoy!

Keep it Simple Seniors -2011

2011-09-23T10:40:00.000-06:00

Last May….yes, yes, I know May was a long time ago….but last May, as a part of Professional Photographer of Colorado we put on one of our most popular events, Keep It Simple Seniors. About 70 photographers, 10 models and the barest equipment at some fabulous locations. The last few years we have been on the streets of downtown Denver. This year we took it to Coors Country….the area around Golden, Colorado. and the train museum. This year I was also honored to be asked to facilitate a group and teach a class on client interaction, posing, and marketing. I can’t begin to tell you how intimidating it is the first time teaching to a group of your peers. Especially, when the first group I had included some photographers that have taught on the national level! Whew! I did actually survive the experience and although I was REALLY nervous, I would do it again. Perhaps, for the 2011 KISS event! I will be facilitating the event and there has been a request to have it down South in Parker or Castle Rock. Hmmmm…I , for one, think YES!!

More of Morgan

2011-09-22T10:19:00.002-06:00

Morgan is a senior model for the studio from Regis. And I seriously think that Morgan should try his hand at modeling. He is tall, perfect skin, and of course, model good looks. His mom and I go way back from the time when we both taught Art together and Morgan was just a kid. We had a great time catching up and working together again, as Linette pulled reflector duty for Morgan’s session. I’m pretty sure we embarrassed Morgan as we marveled at how he fell into the perfect model poses. But what a good guy…and such style! Linette we need to get together and talk about this modeling thing. What cha think?

Morgan

2011-09-21T22:44:00.002-06:00

Most of Morgan’s Sneak Peek will have to wait until tomorrow, but liked this one so much I had to share tonight. So blessed to live in Colorado! Enjoy!

A long time ago…….

2011-09-19T18:07:00.002-06:00

David Beckstead Workshop

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Yes, almost a year ago I was asked to be on the Board of Directors of Professional Photographers of Colorado. So Exciting! I readily accepted and have been going full force gangbusters since then! So busy, in fact that I haven’t had time to post some of the exciting workshops PPC puts on. Like, the David Beckstead Workshop we had back in April. David is an amazing wedding photographer that shoots all over the world. His workshop was so eye opening! He introduced us to some fabulous concepts and ways of shooting. Really had me going out of my comfort zone… in a good way! But wait Michelle, you say. You don’t shoot weddings! True that! But David’s techniques easily cross the lines to any kind of senior, or portrait, photography. Such a great learning experience and workshop! Enjoy (finally) some of my images from the workshop!

Graduation Announcements!

2011-09-14T21:16:00.002-06:00

Yep, everyone’s been asking. We mentioned it at your senior session. And now the school’s are wanting to find out if you want to order their announcements. Well, you could. Or, you could order a fun custom designed announcement featuring YOU! Here are two examples we put together for Camille last year. She choose the first for her announcement and also got matching thank you cards featuring a single different image. Such a deal! So contact us if you are interested and just say no to those stodgy old fashioned ones from the other guys.

Photoshop Friday–High Noon

2011-09-09T17:33:00.002-06:00

Shooting at noon in full sun is a photographer’s worst nightmare. Especially if you are a outdoor natural light shooter. The sun washes out the colors. It is hard to get your focus because it’s hard to see the focal points and the meter readings. You are battling the client squinting and on and on. However, we have gotten some our best shots at noon in full sun. With some reflector help, some tricks we teach the clients….1,2, 3, OPEN…..and of course some Photoshop magic….voila! A gorgeous image! Helps to have an gorgeous model…like Mackenzie!

Michael

2011-09-05T10:46:00.001-06:00

Michael came in for senior pictures a little apprehensive…… but by the time we were done he was joking around with us. And boy, did he have some good lines. It was so nice to get to know him and see his family again. He is a senior at Castle View and has some great plans for the future. Including, the possibility of attending my alma mater, Colorado State University. The Rocky Mountain Showdown is on September 17th. With my two kids at CU – Boulder this year and both parents CSU alum, we are truly a house divided. Can’t wait for the game! So nice to meet you Michael. You portraits turned out great! And, whatever school you choose I’m sure it will be the right one for you! Go Rams!

Kathryn

2011-09-04T10:45:00.001-06:00

Kathryn’s friend Brianna came in first for her senior session….. and it was windy. Then, Kathryn came in a few weeks later and guess what? Wind again! However, we have learned to make the best of it by now. We know to wait for the gusts to blow through. To find the protected spots. And, to sometimes take advantage of it and get that “model hair” like the first one here. And adorable Kathryn does look just like a model! Picture perfect skin, a great smile and just all around fabulous features! And, don’t you love her boots? I want some! So glad you chose us Kathryn!

Sean C

2011-09-03T13:45:00.001-06:00

Introducing Sean! Looking like a GQ model. His mom knows what GQ is, even if Sean doesn’t. However, I bet if I said looking like a Hollister model, he would know what I’m talking ‘bout! Anyway, I had to show the first one (cropped and color) and the last one (same image but not cropped and black and white) just to show what a difference we can make just by crops and color. Both images are great, but very different. We photographed Sean’s big brother’s senior portraits several years ago and it was nice to meet Sean and catch up with what his mom and his big brother have been doing these past few years! You look great Sean!

Eli

2011-08-30T22:45:00.001-06:00

Eli had the longer session and we still didn’t have enough time to get all that I wanted done. We got to go somewhere fun, and get some photos by the barns. First time I’ve been out there this year!! We stepped out of the car and right away I knew the shot I wanted. We had to set it up fast before the clouds changed. It is the first one here. I didn’t notice until later, when I was editing, that the clouds above her made two little hearts. Can you see them? No photo shop there. It was the real thing! We were able to do a traditional classic one for mom. Some fun ones for Eli, but never fit in her volleyball portraits. I totally forgot until she left. And I had some great ideas! Luckily, her sister is going to come back and get a matching “traditional” portrait to go with hers. So maybe Eli can come back and do her volleyball portraits then. Sound good Eli? Love, love, loved your senior session!

Zoe

2011-08-29T12:49:00.001-06:00

Adorable Zoe was all ready for her senior sessions. She had gotten out of school jut a bit early. Had the clothes ready. Make up and hair done. And she was so nervous! And then, it rained. And, it didn’t stop raining. And, we had to reschedule. So Zoe had to do it all over again. So, for the extra wait and trouble Zoe gets an extra facebook image! It even tried to rain a bit this time, and of course the wind blew, but this time we were able to get them done and Zoe has some cute, cute images! See Zoe, nothing to be nervous about. You look amazing!

Parker

2011-08-29T11:27:00.001-06:00

Oh, how we loved Parker! To the point that we were trying to set him up with others high school students that we knew! lol. Fresh back from a mission trip to Africa where we was doing some building. The food they had was the food they brought in. He said it was a great experience! That is one place I would like to visit someday! I feel like such a broken record (if anyone still knows what a record is these days!) but we really have had the nicest, greatest, such good looking seniors this summer! Just like Parker! So glad you chose us for your senior portraits Parker!

Jamie

2011-08-29T10:56:00.001-06:00

This first image is the very first we took of Jamie and how we spent most the session. Jamie is so much fun! Here she was cracking up because she couldn’t do the “hint of a smile” more serious look. However, I think she pulled it off fabulously in the third one shown here. The last one we were battling wind (once again) but we got some great skies just before some storms blew in! Thanks for a fun session Jamie! It was so nice to see you and your mom again after all these years!

Chandra

2011-08-28T21:01:00.001-06:00

And here’s Miss Chandra, looking a bit like Carrie Underwood. With Chandra’s beautiful hair it seemed to blow or fall just right in a lot of images. Beautiful Chandra is the only girl in the middle of two boys in her family. She wants to go to Australia one day and is also a Bachelor fan. Hmmmm, I wonder who will be the next Bachelor come to think of it. Yep, I’m also a big fan! But sorry guys, this girl is not going to be on the Bachelorette any time soon as she is already taken. She’s dating a senior that we photographed earlier this summer. What a great looking couple! So glad we finally got your portraits done Chandra! (Chandra had to reschedule for one of our few rain outs.)

Sean

2011-08-28T18:21:00.001-06:00

Sean came in with Julia for his senior session. And, I’ve got to tell you…. we have had the nicest seniors this summer! Including Sean! I know guys aren’t the happiest about taking senior pictures. Ranks right up there with a visit to the dentist, if you ask them. But Sean was as nice as could be and did a couple of extra photos with Julia. All the photos turned out great. How could they not with Sean’s great eyes (in fact had to show a super close up just to showcase those great eyes) and natural poses. Great to meet you Sean!

Julia

2011-08-28T17:12:00.001-06:00

I’ve probably known Julia as long as anyone in Parker. Her family used to live across the street from us and her mom invited me to attend a playgroup that they were a part of. Such great memories of when all of our kids were little. And, Julia and her sister were some of my first models with some practice shots when I was first thinking about going pro. Now, Julia has grown into a beautiful young woman. She came to her senior shoot with her boyfriend (who is also a senior) and we did some pictures of Julia, some pictures of Sean, and a few together. They are both great teens. Now, I’m off to work on Sean’s blog post! Coming soon……

Gavin

2011-08-28T11:14:00.001-06:00

I had to show a smiling one of Gavin to show that he really is such a nice guy. Now, on the ice…..maybe not so much. Haha. Gavin is a Hockey player living part time in Colorado and part time in Michigan. I forgot to ask him if he was a Red Wings or Av’s fan! His mom told us about a game he will be playing at DU this fall and we can’t wait to see him on the ice! I know this guy has some big time Hockey success in his future. He works hard and is doing everything he can to make that happen! We loved taking your senior pictures Gavin. You and your family are really such great people and we can’t wait to see what you future brings. We will get to say we knew you when!

Elia

2011-08-24T21:26:00.001-06:00

We have had seniors from Washington State. From Oklahoma. And more recently, Michigan (today in fact, before he leaves for Michigan) and later this summer McKenzie will fly in from Florida for senior pictures. However, NONE have come as far as Elia! Elia is from Italy! She is an exchange student with RYLA. Click the link to find out more about this amazing organization. Her host family has a senior as well, and thought it would be fun for Elia to experience the American tradition of senior portraits. I’m so glad that they did! Elia is beautiful inside and out and it was such a pleasure meeting her. I hope to see her more throughout the year. She is so lucky to have an amazing host family as well. I’m sure she will have a fabulous senior year in Colorful Colorado. She got here just before the Aspens change, so we thought some Colorado Aspen portraits, like the second here, were fitting! Welcome to Colorado Elia!

Did You Know?

2011-08-24T12:07:00.001-06:00

Did you know that you can order a storyboard of your favorite images? Francesca had so many great soccer images it was hard to choose one. I put together a quick storyboard so she could see what a few looked like together. These storyboards can be either big for framing, or small for a desktop. One 2011 senior’s parents did a small desktop storyboard as a Father’s Day present. They also, make fabulous Christmas presents! Just sayin’ !

Fran

2011-08-24T12:00:00.001-06:00

Fran has such a bright future in front of her. She knows where she is going to college and has worked hard to get there. She is a soccer player from PHS, but plays for a club team as well. We had such a good time with her senior portraits and got some great, great images! Look for a soccer storyboard post soon! You are gorgeous Fran! And can really move! You did so great in front of the camera!

Cheyenne

2011-08-23T15:13:00.001-06:00

Cheyenne….don’t you love her name? Cheyenne brought her friend Kelly who was great help on hair and accessories. And did she have some cute accessories. Cute earrings, cute jeans, cute rings! And she followed the rules so well with her solid colored shirts. It really puts the focus on her great eyes. And someday….yes someday…Brenda and I will fit into those Miss Me jeans. Maybe not Cheyenne’s ultra tiny size, but we will! And then you will definitely see some photos that show off those amazing bling pockets on those jeans, just like we showed off those pockets on some of Cheyenne’s photos. So lovely to meet you and Kelly Cheyenne!

Taylor S.

2011-08-21T13:18:00.001-06:00

When Taylor came in we started asking her about what she does for fun. She said snowboard. But wait…no snowboard with her! Luckily, she lives close. So, we sent her mom home for the snowboard and snow equipment. Luckily (again), the weather wasn’t as hot as it’s been lately, so she didn’t totally melt dressed in her snowboard gear in the middle of August! We just loved Taylor’s hair and we did battle the wind again, but something about Taylor’s hair made it blow in those model perfect looks instead of a total mess. She got lots of good “model hair” shots as we call them! In fact, the one in the purple above I went back and forth on. There was one with model perfect hair blowing back and this one with a magazine ad look blowing across her face just right. I liked this one just a bit better. We will see what Taylor thinks when she sees her finished gallery. Thank your mom Taylor once again for making that trip to fetch the snowboard. It was SO worth it!

Ashley B

2011-08-21T10:44:00.001-06:00

I know Ashley will LOVE her first shot here, because she loves her dog so much. Look at those soulful eyes. On the info sheet we ask “What makes you Happy"?” And Ashley’s response? Her dog of course. So cute. Ashley also likes Mexican food and Snowboarding. She loves the mountains. In fact, if she won the lottery she would move to the mountains. I’m sure she would bring her dog! So glad we got to capture some great images of you with Bruno, Ashley!

Karley

2011-08-20T10:30:00.001-06:00

Gorgeous Karley was so excited to have some images taken in her prom dress. And I can see why. It is a gorgeous dress on a gorgeous girl. I decided to try the first image in just regular color and then in a vintage wash that seems so popular these days. So readers, what do you think? Which do you like better? Leave a comment. It’s funny how we spent so much time getting Karley to do just the right head tilt so her bangs weren’t in her eyes, but then one of my favorites is with her bangs covering an eye. lol. I have this exact same image (on top) with both eyes showing but liked this one better. So nice to meet you and your mom Karley. Your portraits are gorgeous, just like you!

Nicole

2011-08-19T12:57:00.001-06:00

Nicole came in and I got the feeling that she wasn’t too confident about senior pictures. She really had no reason to worry. With those gorgeous eyes, long beautiful hair, and cute smile….. she looks gorgeous!! We even got some perfect model blowing hair! And don’t you love her earrings? So pretty! Hope now that you see the images Nicole, that you think they are as gorgeous as I do!

Alex

2011-08-18T18:06:00.001-06:00

Beautiful Alex is looking just like a California Girl with those blue eyes, blond hair, and perfect skin! And her favorite place to shop? Hollister of course! She also likes Taylor Swift, Starbucks, and want to go to Australia. Her best advice is fabulous advice: “Wouldn’t you rather have and “oh well’ moment than a “what if”? And guess where she wants to go to college? Well, California of course! I think she will fit right in! So nice to mett you and an honor to take your senior portraits Alex!

Katherine

2011-08-17T14:52:00.001-06:00

Katherine is a Rugby player from Cherry Creek and she is downright adorable! Cute as a button with a personality to match. Her mom calls her spunky. I like that. However, I would have to add a sweet to that spunky. We just loved her! She also plays guitar, and we got some great guitar shots. I think I’ve said before how much I love when seniors bring things that show a little bit more about them. So nice getting to know you and your mom Katherine. Hope you are as pleased with your images as I am!

Sarah B

2011-08-14T20:44:00.001-06:00

We did Sarah’s sister’s senior portraits a few years ago and now it is Sarah’s turn. She is just as pretty as her sister. I just can’t believe all the beautiful girls we have been photographing this summer! When I was editing Sarah’s pictures I couldn’t help but notice a certain resemblance to Liv Tyler, with her big blue eyes. Sarah has her blue eyes set on the possibility of the University of Texas someday and she wants to be a Kindergarten teacher. Her best advice is to be optimistic and she wants to visit Spain. Her favorite color is orange, but she didn’t bring anything orange to her senior shoot. Instead, she brought a beautiful shade of deep yellow that was perfect for her! I loved it so much that I think I need to go out and find something that color for my own fall wardrobe this year! So great to meet you Sarah and thanks to your Dad for being a great reflector holder for your session! He did a great job!

Elise

2011-08-14T13:29:00.001-06:00

I’m sure Elise doesn’t think of herself as glamorous but in her senior portraits she is all sorts of glamorous. With the most picture perfect skin…..not a bit of Photoshop on her skin…and glorious long hair (battling wind again) and big brown eyes with thick, thick, lashes she is beautiful as well! Elise’s all time favorite movie is Phantom of the Opera. Love that movie! The songs are amazing. And speaking of amazing music, something she recently bought are Warped Tour tickets. She gets an extra sneak peek for a mistake I made earlier. So nice to see you again Elise and meet your parents. Glad you remembered me from last year with Lee!

Cole

2011-08-14T12:26:00.001-06:00

Cole came by looking like a model the other day. I love him in that red with his dark hair. He is on the state championship Cherry Creek Soccer team and wants to visit Vietnam some day. Besides being a great athlete, he is also a scholar and took 6 AP classes last year! More Ap Classes on on the horizon for this year! He is most looking forward to college. I love what he put on his sheet we have everyone fill out for his best advice, “Do what you need to do before what you want to do”. Fabulous advice! I sometimes need to heed that one a bit better. Nice meeting you Cole! I’m sure you will have an amazing and successful senior year!

Brianna B

2011-08-13T12:09:00.002-06:00

I don’t think Brianna felt much like a super model when she first came in. However, with that gorgeous hair and those beautiful eyes, she sure looked like one. Toward the end, we battled some wind but some of those messy wind photos turned out to be my favorites…like the first one or the last one where she is holding her hair against the wind. Or, maybe the third one for that blowing “model hair” as we call it. And the second one where her hair is all model perfect. Loved this shoot and this girl!

Dylan

2011-08-13T11:11:00.001-06:00

After photographing hundreds of seniors I finally got to photograph a senior from my Alma Mater…Lakewood High School! Dylan plays football where his mom and I both were cheerleaders years ago. So Dylan got to few stories from the old days. He is such a good guy, and such a good sport coming out early in the morning after an early football practice. He is smart, dedicated, and so personable. Even early in the morning with all of us girls giving him a hard time. Even when getting his senior pictures taken. Which, if you’ve read this blog, or know 17 year old guys at all…not their favorite ways to spend an early morning. So nice to get to know you Dylan and so nice to catch up Dayna! I will be watching the prep football stats with special interest this year Dylan. Good luck for a fabulous season!! Go Tigers!!

And Now….a break from our regularly scheduled seniors…..

2011-08-11T22:52:00.001-06:00

When I’m busiest and overwhelmed with seniors I (perhaps unwisely) decided to take a short respite and relive our recent trip to Italy. Thought I’d share a few of my favorites if you haven’t seen them on Facebook earlier. These were taken around Rome, Florence, Venice, Cinque Terra, and Pisa. Enjoy!

Erica

2011-08-09T16:08:00.001-06:00

Erica’s mom was so excited for senior pictures. I think she might have been the very first person to contact me for a 2012 senior! And yesterday we finally got a chance to take Beautiful Erica’s portraits. So much fun, and Erica has such beautiful eyes. So hard to decide. I had it narrowed down to 20 for the blog choices. Still way too many. Luckily, Erica got a two hour session so she gets a bigger sneak peek (and a few more print images as well with her package)! I loved her neon yellow hat. When she put it on she was just Erica…happy, smiling and giving us some cute, cute, poses with a little attitude. Her favorite thing about herself is her outgoing personality and I got to say I love that too. Also love that one of the things she plans to do senior year is get straight A’s. As a many time academic letterer at her high school, I have no doubt that she will! So nice to see you Susan and nice to meet you Erica! I know you will go so far in life!

Renae

2011-08-08T21:27:00.001-06:00

Renae has gotten to spend a lot of time at the studio lately! She was here Friday for her senior portrait shoot, then again today for her Poms Team shoot. She’s such a sweetie! We love seeing her! She’s a Taylor Swift fan and a chocolate fan. She doesn’t miss the Bachelorette (me too!) and has been dancing since she was three. So nice to meet you, your mom, and your entire team Renae!!

Rylie

2011-08-08T06:22:00.000-06:00

Luck was with Rylie. Originally scheduled in early June, because her mom wanted her outdoor portraits when it was green. Everyone knows how Colorado gets after the 4th of July……brown and dry! Then, there was a too short haircut and a reschedule to August. However, this August there has been rain, and more rain. So that means green! All the way into August! They also wanted water and yes, this August we have water. This shoot turned out more like a day off, as we hiked a bit in a beautiful location I haven’t been to in a while. It was so nice to just enjoy the beauty of the area, the beauty of the day, and the beauty of Rylie! So glad we did this!

Rachel

2011-08-07T21:26:00.001-06:00

Rachel is an artist (and a scientist as well!) so she can appreciate the fun I had playing with her photos. We played with some new poses and I played with some applications to her photos. Especially the last one here. I thought the new pose we tried looked like something from the 40’s or the 50’s so applied a technique to give it more of a vintage feel. Rachel is the third of three kids in her family that I have photographed and her brother Josh, who graduated in ‘08, joined her for her shoot. It was so nice to catch up on what all her family has been doing and brother Josh was an amazing assistant. You are gorgeous Rachel! Had so much fun! Thanks for trying some new poses with us!

Derrick

2011-08-07T15:43:00.001-06:00

Derrick is a senior model for us and he loves shooting as much as I do. Except….he shoots hoops and I shoot portraits! We got some cool basketball shots and also some more how I see Derrick…smiling and just an all around nice guy! Don’t let those tough guy basketball photos fool you. Derrick really is a great guy. Except maybe on the courts….then….well….all nice guy bets are off. I’m betting his high school will have an amazing season with him on the team!

Shae

2011-08-07T12:36:00.001-06:00

Beautiful Shae is so interesting. She has lived several places, including Hawaii, but loves it here. Her favorite band is the Beatles, and she has a steady boyfriend who is also her best friend. She also loves owls and brought a great owl pendent and scarf. She has great style and brought some fabulous choices for clothes. Our tips sheet says no plaids (but it also says to bring something you love –Shae brought her plaid shirt) and her plaid shirt ended up being some of my favorite images. It looked so great against our red and green bush! Hope you love your senior pictures Shae!

Monikka

2011-08-06T09:52:00.001-06:00

Wind, rain, or dark of night will stop the photographer…..no wait…I think that’s the mailman! However, it was raining, and windy, and dark, at Monikka’s session. But beautiful Monikka was so excited for her senior session and had followed the tips sheet EXACTLY. Hair done, nails perfect, clothes picked out and pressed. So despite the stormy weather we started her session indoors and finished under the protection of the porches. SO glad we did because her portraits turned out beautifully. Just like Monikka. Monikka’s mom has been waiting over a year for her senior session. She won the session at the PHS Spirit Golf Tournament a year ago and has been waiting patiently until this summer. Such a wonderful family! I’m so glad you won that session Sheri! It was wonderful to meet you and your beautiful family!

Emily

2011-08-04T17:06:00.001-06:00

Miss Emily is one involved girl! And one great senior model! She had just returned from a week at band camp. Then, the day before her shoot was spent at a tennis match (and they are now going to state with her tennis team!). Immediately after her shoot, she scurried off to Link Crew training for her high school (a sort of mentorship program that the older students do for the younger ones for those that call it something different.) Oh, and did I mention she spent some time this summer in Rome and Las Vegas? And I won’t even start in on Choir and the other activities! She has given us some great referrals and is just so much fun to photograph! Love ya Em! So great hanging with you and your mom for a bit on Tuesday!

Reid

2011-08-03T22:15:00.001-06:00

I don’t know about you but I just think that Legend Titans just sounds so cool. Especially if you say it loud. And, in one of those football stadium announcer voices. LEGEND TIIIITAAAANSSSS! Well, everything about Reid was cool. From his football player good looks to his waaaaaayyyy cool car. Yep, it was a totally tricked out SUV that doesn’t just see the streets of Parker. Nope. His SUV does some serious 4-wheeling. The stories his mom was telling me…….well, let’s just say Reid is not one to sit at home. He totally enjoys the outdoors to the fullest. Good for you Reid! I see some bright things in your future!

Allie D

2011-08-02T22:28:00.001-06:00

Allie gets and extra sneak peek photo for her patience. I know she has been anxiously waiting since she drove all the way from the Springs for her senior portraits. You see, she is Richard’s cousin and they came together to get a few shots together. Not only did she wait patiently for her sneak peek, she also had to wait for her shoot since we did Richard’s first, then a few together, then hers. I hope it was worth the wait Allie! You are gorgeous! And I absolutely loved meeting you and your mom!

Richard

2011-08-02T20:40:00.001-06:00

Richard is one of our senior models from Ponderosa and with his model good looks I really think he can model for more than just our little studio. His sister started as one of our models a couple years ago and now does just that! I, of course, love the non smiling model looking ones, but of course needed to include a smiling one for his mom. Love those guitar ones!! We got a lot of good ones at his mini model session and even better ones this time! Would love to hear you play sometime Richard! Great to see you Julie and Jordan!!

A.J.

2011-08-01T23:29:00.001-06:00

Last year we photographed AJ’s brother and loved his “cool guy” model looks. So much so that this year we asked his brother AJ to be a senior model for us. And yep, we love those suave poses on AJ just as much! Those non smiling ones really showcase his eyes. However, we also had to include a little half smiling one as well. It just has that sense of mischievousness that is SO AJ. So great so see you and your mom again AJ! You always keep us smiling!

Will

2011-08-01T09:46:00.001-06:00

Well, I have to be honest. We didn’t give Will a choice about taking a portrait with his new cool jeep. We saw the jeep and his gray T and had to shoot a few. So glad we did! He looks awesome! and so does that car! Look for lots of blog posts today as I catch up with sneak peeks from last week. We are definitely in full swing senior mode right now with a full, full schedule!

Kristina

2011-07-29T20:10:00.001-06:00

Beautiful Kristina is one of our senior models this year and at her senior session….we had something new….wind! JK. Of course to get around the wind we did some creative posing with her gorgeous long hair and we did get a few of those model wind blowing poses. She brought a few of her friends, that have session booked later with us, and even her mom popped in for a few. It was a senior session party and we totally didn’t mind. In fact, if you have some patient, or helpful, friends or family that want to tag along on your session and pop in for a few images, the more the merrier in our book! Great session Kristina! And thanks for being a senior model this year!

Maci Magic

2011-07-29T13:24:00.001-06:00

Sooo excited about the portraits!! Beautiful girl! Beautiful horse! Beautiful setting! A photographer’s dream. It was one of those magic moments. The forces were definitely with us. It was windy, but just that perfect hair blowing wind for her gorgeous hair. It was just short of high noon…awful time for portraits but they still turned out great (thanks to some great lighting by Brenda! Thank you Brenda!) Maci and her mom said that the horse that we photographed was usually good, but sometimes would get distracted by her other horse. That didn’t happen and both horses were a dream. Just a magic day with some of the nicest people ever. Thanks Maci and Romney!

Rachel

2011-07-27T06:49:00.000-06:00

To say it was windy at Rachel’s senior session is an understatement….we are talking hurricane like gales! But, we did get some of those “model hair blowing poses” and we did move it inside for a few. I got to use my new Ponderosa High School colors backdrop from Denny's! Love this company and their non wrinkle freedom cloth drops. Just like I love Rachel’s gorgeous red hair and I love her pretty green eyes! I’ve known Rachel and her family since I taught art way back when. It was so fun to see her all grown up and catch up with what they have been doing! Plus, she brought her all too cute and well behaved pup to boot! He was not only adorable, but you would have thought he did some past modeling with how he was posing for the camera! Too fun!

Jenna…

2011-07-26T19:50:00.001-06:00

Jenna has the greatest blue eyes and such pretty blond hair. A perfect California girl, but not from California. She’s a country Colorado girl that wants to visit Italy. Loves Pink and eats goldfish when she has a snack attack. Yum! She is one of our senior models and finally got her moment to shine! Great shoot Jenna! Again, so hard to choose. Thanks for a great session!

All the Right Moves..

2011-07-25T23:16:00.001-06:00

I’m sure that was the name of a movie at some point, but I don’t remember the movie. What I do know was that Meaghan truly did have all the right moves. This girl could pose for a photograph. In fact, she gave me some great new poses for future seniors. She just looked great in front of the camera! She is a dancer and a dance teacher so I think that helps. Makes my job so much easier! And what a sweetie! She said she wanted her senior pictures to be classy. I hope we didn’t disappoint you Meaghan, but I don’t see how we could miss…you are one classy girl!

Mackenzie

2011-07-25T15:00:00.001-06:00

Mackenzie is a senior model from Ponderosa. Isn’t she gorgeous? Her favorite sport is dance (well, duh…she’s an amazing dancer!) and loves scary movies. She has a great smile and like me, loves The Bachelor on TV. Like most high school seniors, the gadget she has to have is her phone. I’m with her on that one! I got even more addicted since I got a phone that has email and internet. Our field is blooming so well this summer, with all the rain, and we got some amazing photos of Mackenzie in the field. SO, SO hard to chose for the blog!! Especially when you add someone as pretty as Mackenzie to the photos! We also tried our new background and ring light with Mackenzie. I loved her adorable hats!!

Sami D

2011-07-23T20:21:00.001-06:00

Miss Sami D is a senior model for us at Legend where she is on the varsity cheer team. That smile of hers just lights up a room and was my favorite look on her, so that’s all I showed here. I have photographed her families portraits for a few years now and it is always nice to catch up with her and her mom. I did find out something new while talking to her mom this time that I didn’t know after all these years of knowing their family. Sami’s mom’s family descends from a part of Italy very near my own family. So cool! Hope you have an amazing senior year Samantha!

Jordan…

2011-07-23T11:19:00.001-06:00

First off, I apologize to Jordan for being a little late with this post. The lighting storm we had this week knocked out my internet for a few days so I couldn’t post. However, we are back up and running now and catching up with senior sneak peeks. This is Jordon. His mom says that the white T in the second photo defines him. He can always be found in a white T! Well, of course we needed to take some photos in it! Your senior session is all about you and what defines you. I love it when seniors bring a lot of things to define them. And I think Jordan looks great in his T. Just so Jordan. Great to meet you Jordan!

Cameron

2011-07-22T18:42:00.002-06:00

Cameron is starting is senior year off with a bang.Or, at least the last few weeks before his senior year! He will be going to Spain! My daughter, who just got back from a semester abroad and some traveling, says Barcelona was her favorite place, so I'm sure Cameron will have a great time! So great to meet you Cameron and your mom. Have a fabulous senior year!

Model Perfect

2011-07-21T20:58:00.001-06:00

Kate is one of our senior models. She came in for her senior shoot and we got to have some fun. Isn’t she gorgeous? Our models get an extra 15 minutes of shooting time where we just get to play. For Kate’s time our assistant Hannah, as aspiring photographer and power blogger (visit her amazing blog here ) got to play with my camera and lenses. Her portrait is the last one (photography by Hannah, editing by me, until Hannah has a chance to come in and play). I also played with some sun flare. Usually, I am not a fan of sun flare (seen in the second photo). In fact, I do everything I can to avoid it as taught by the old school rules of photography. And, in fact again, the original of this photo does not have sun flare. However, sun flare is all the rage in photos these days so I decided to try it on this photo (it’s all done in Photoshop in this case)

. And guess what……I really like it here! In fact better than the original without the flare. AMAZING session Kate! Thanks so much!

Lovely Lexi

2011-07-16T17:45:00.001-06:00

Lexi is just adorable and has the most perfect skin, the cutest smile (and personality) and the greatest eyes! I loved the hat and jewelry that she brought. SO my style…I forgot to ask her where she got most of her earrings, rings and bracelet. She loves the outdoors and her favorite thing about Colorado is that is has all four seasons. I have to agree with you Lexi! Thanks for a great photo shoot Lexi! And, thanks to Lexi’s friend Katie who helped with reflectors yesterday! Note : Click on the storyboard for a bigger version. We offer these storyboards in large and small sizes for sale in the studio. This one turned out so cute!

I remember…..

2011-07-15T12:49:00.001-06:00

I remember several years ago, when I photographed Sydney’s sister Alex. I kept wanting to crop in closer and closer because she was so pretty. Well, the same is true for Sydney! Such a beauty! The first one I had to show both the original, and the crop, to show you how one photo can look so different because of the crop. The third one is just for me because I love it! And the last one…..I could have Photoshopped all those little stray hairs across her face out but…I love that too! So natural and pretty! Sometimes less is more and simpler is better. Definitely so in the case of such a classic beauty like Sydney. Nice to meet you Sydney, you are beautiful inside and out. And, great to catch up Mary Lisa. I know where your girls get their classic beauty and sweet personalities!!

One for me, one for Mom, and one for Janey.

2011-07-14T18:16:00.001-06:00

Can you guess which ones are for who? Maybe not. Janey’s mom gets the bottom one. You see, Janey is NOT a high heel kind of girl. She reluctantly put them on for a picture for her mom. She had them on for exactly two shots. Not because she refused more. Or not because her mom wanted more. Mostly, because I knew right away we had gotten a great shot! What do you think Rae Marie? She looks great in heels (as well as everything else!) Janey runs track, cross country and swims. I love the second to the last one because it looks like she just got down with a big run and had flopped down on the ground. The second one is for me because I was playing with some Photoshop actions and textures. The first one is for both me and Janey. Again, doing some playing with actions and textures on Janey and her cute, cute rain boots. Janey is known for her boots after swim meets. She has several pairs that she puts on with her suit or her shorts. I love ‘em! So cute! Wish she would have brought the lot of them! So remember, as it says in our tip sheet. If there is something that defines you….bring it! It may just be your favorite shot!

Bunches of Baseball Players

2011-07-13T20:21:00.001-06:00

This year so far, we not not only seen a lot of boys, but a lot of baseball player boys. I have tried the first shot here with a bunch of guys but no one has been able to pull it off quite as well as Conner. Conner had just the right intense gaze. I love the way this came off. So cool! We also had to get the smiling one in there for mom. And, I’m a sucker for those magazine ad looking off in the distance ones…that’s for me. So, the second one is left for Conner’s favorite. Hope he likes it as much as I do! It was a pleasure Connor. Such a good sport dealing with all us girls today!

Jake’s Turn

2011-07-07T17:50:00.001-06:00

Jake is the third of three in his family. We did his big sister’s senior portraits, his middle sister’s senior portraits, his family’s portraits and now it’s Jake turn! It’s been about two years since I last saw Jake and, oh my gosh did he grow in those two years. Grew into the good looking man that we photographed a few days ago. He is so comfortable in front of the camera and we had such a great session. I loved that he brought his guitar and letter jacket. I know his mom will have more than enough choices to add to her wall collection with the girls!

Beating the Rain….

2011-07-06T15:19:00.001-06:00

Adorable Amanda first had to reschedule her senior session due to rain. Then on her rescheduled date it started looking like rain again! But we waited it out a bit and all was well and we were able to photograph her two hour session at both the house and at the barn where her horse is.

Amanda also is a singer and wants to do something in music after she graduates. From what I hear she is quite talented! One of the girls that helps out in the office has heard her sing and thinks she is amazing! Would love to hear you song sometime Amanda. I might have to do some Utube stalking. Good luck this summer with your auditions!!

Chris from Creek....

2011-07-06T13:27:00.000-06:00

Chris plays soccer for Cherry Creek. We were talking about the size of the Cherry Creek teams and how many students play soccer there. Wow! Chris's parents (who are the nicest people btw) must be proud because not only has Chris played all four years but he is on the Varsity team that won the State Title last year! Quite an accomplishment at such a large school! I love Chris' info sheet that we have all seniors fill out.....Favorite Sport...Soccer; Site most often visited...Soccer.com; Something you recently bought......new Soccer cleats; Best part of high school.....Tennis (okay, okay, just kidding....but I bet you can guess....Soccer...of course)! He said his pet peeve is his sisters. (He is the only boy in between two sisters.) But I got to say, I love his sister's! We did his older sister's senior pictures and because of her we got to meet Chris! Siblings have become a big, big part of our senior business. So fun to say we've photographed whole families now that we've been in business a while. In fact, you can not believe the weddings we've been asked to do as all of our seniors are growing up, graduating and getting married. Sorry, I still don't photography weddings, but who knows what the future may hold! Have a great senior year Chris and good luck with that repeat State title!

Taylor

2011-07-03T11:37:00.000-06:00

Taylor was just such a sweetheart. She had already had a busy summer, having just come back from Poms Camp. She is co- captian of her team and excited for senior year and all that it brings. She brought the cutest hats for us to play with. Looking like a true Southern Belle on the front Porch! I know you will having an amazing senior year Taylor!

Jordan

2011-07-01T14:22:00.000-06:00

Good Looking Jordan is the younger brother of another senior we photographed a few years back. Jordan likes to keep things simple and was not much for too posed photos. He likes them natural and that fits him so well with his natural good looks! He brought his dad with him and it was nice to catch up with all his family has been up these past few years. Have a great senior year Jordan!

Expressive Posing and Sweet Light

2011-06-30T09:05:00.000-06:00

Sierra (love her name too!) had an amazing Senior session! This girl had the most expressive face and some of the cutest poses! She is adorable! We were battleing not only wind, but also rain this time. Luckily, it didn't stop us and we were not able to only get some good photos but some great ones! SOOOOOO hard to decide for the blog!!!! I think her mom was a little worried at first with Sierra's hair whipping around in the wind, but when we found some sweet light on the stairs, I knew that all would be well. Sierra's Mom's biggest worry now will be which ones to choose! Great session Sierra! So nice to meet you!

Chance's Senior Session

2011-06-29T13:54:00.000-06:00

Chance is our second senior Model to have his senior session done. And, he needed to do it early for some of the same reason's as Jacob did. Jacob plays football at Legend...well Chance plays Baseball at Ponderosa. He totally rocked his senior session with some model good looks. His girlfriend is going to love these! Thanks for a great session Chance! BTW, did I ever tell you...I LOVE your name! It's so cool!

First Senior Model Senior Session

2011-06-28T12:23:00.000-06:00

Jacob was in a few months ago as a senior model for Legend High School. He came back for his senior session a few weeks back so he could get them finished before all the work of football season. It was nice to spend some one on one time with him away from all the other models and get to know him and his mom better. Hope you like your photos Jacob! You look great!

2012 Senior Model Spotlight: Kristina

2011-06-19T18:39:00.000-06:00

Are you as in love with Kristina's prom dress as I am?! It is so her, too! Kristina is downright fun, it was a total blast hanging out with her at the senior model shoot. Her favorite sport is dancing, which works out great because she is absolutely amazing. I've had the opportunity to see her dance a lot and she has got it going on! Her plans for senior year are to be captain of the Poms team, be in student council and DECA. Oh, and she takes great pictures. Is there anything this girl can't do?! Good luck with your senior year, Kristina!

2012 Senior Model Spotlight: Mackenzie

2011-06-09T09:51:00.000-06:00

Mackenzie is just the sweetest! Getting to know her at the senior model shoot was a ton of fun! I swear she has the cutest clothes and accessories. She came with such cute headbands, hair flowers, and tons of cute clothes like this sweet little black dress! Not only is she stylish, but an amazing dancer, too! Her favorite movie is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (hey that's my favorite, too!) and her favorite quality about herself is her morals. I just adore her, don't you?! Mackenzie is a ton of fun, and it was really great getting to know her during our senior model shoot. In 10 years she hopes to be married and a physicians assistant. Go get 'em Kenzie! Good luck to you as you start your final year of high school!

2012 Senior Model Spotlight: Samantha

2011-06-08T08:46:00.000-06:00

Meet Samantha! After reading Samantha's All About Me packet, I think I love her even more! We have so much in common. She looooves Lasagna, Taylor Swift, Facebook and the Twilight series. Her favorite part of high school is the pep assemblies, which I'm sure are awesome because she is in them! You see, Samantha is a cheerleader at Legend, which I think is a perfect sport for her because she is so happy and smiley! Best wishes to you as you begin your last year of high school Sam!

Brianna.....

2011-06-04T14:31:00.000-06:00

Brianna is from Ponderosa High School and yes, like so many shoots got to battle the wind. But it really wasn't too bad and Brianna got some great heair blowing model looks. Brianna loves Mexican food and Green Day (me too!) She does some hip hop dance and her favorite show is America's Best Dance Crew. Thanks for being our first girl of the 2012 senior season Brianna! It was great getting to know you!

2012 Senior Model Spotlight: Richard

2011-06-03T15:34:00.000-06:00

Richard most wanted to get some pictures with his guitar at the senior model shoot...I think his wish was answered! How fun is that first image?! I think it perfectly captures Richard's fun and dedicated personality. Not only is he extremely creative, but he is talented, too! I've heard him play his guitar before and he rocks...literally! Richard hopes to still be playing in ten years, and hopes to become famous. He will be going to college and the University of Wisconsin and can't wait to graduate! I need to get Richard's autograph before he heads off to college, he is going to go far, I just know it! Congrats on reaching your senior year, Richard!

2012 Senior Model Spotlight: Kate

2011-06-02T14:04:00.000-06:00

Before the senior models come in, we have them fill out an all about me packet, just so we cant get to know them a little bit better! It's kind of like when you were in Kindergarten and got to have a special day when you got to tell the whole class about you! I immediately loved Kate even more when she confessed she had a shoe addiction (So do I Kate, don't you worry!). Kate is so happy and fun, it was a blast taking pictures together. She is a huge football fan too! It was really exciting seeing what everyone wore for their pictures, I loved the creativity. Kate's plans for senior year are to have a good time, get good grades and get into colleges. Best of luck to Kate in her last year of high school!

Introducing...the Class of 2012!!

2011-06-01T12:17:00.000-06:00

And so it begins! The Class of 2011 has graduated and it is time for the Class of 2012 to start their senior year journey. And kicking it off with a bang for Michelle Kroll Photography is Andrew from Legend High School. Legend is graduating their first senior class in 2012, as it is a new school.

Andrew needed to get his senior portraits done early because he is going on an adventure this summer....to China! What a great opportunity to see a big part of the world. Andrew also got to break in a new drop for us with his motocross gear. I love how all of his motocross portraits came out, but this one especially really showcases his great blue eyes.

I loved talking to Andrew and his mom, and they were able to give me some insight to a camp that Andrew has attended that my youngest will be attending this summer. Thanks so much for the great info! Have a fabulous adventure in China Andrew and a fabulous senior year!

2012 Senior Model Spotlight: Chance

2011-05-31T23:21:00.000-06:00

Meet Chance! Chance is absolutely hilarious, athletic and totally fun! Chance plays football and baseball and wants to be an elementary school P.E. teacher when he grows up. Chance kept us laughing all day long at the senior model shoot. He rocked the girl poses, pink umbrella and all, but also got some amazing images! Even his answers on his All About Me packet made me laugh out loud, like this one for example, "Something nobody knows about you: I strongly dislike really small dogs" haha! I hope your senior year is amazing, Chance, and that you don't have to deal with really small dogs in your future. Good luck to you as you go on to your last year of high school!

2012 Senior Model Spotlight: Morgan

2011-05-31T10:31:00.000-06:00

If I had to sum up Morgan, one of our senior models from Regis Jesuit High School, in one word it would be original! Morgan is a great guy, and so creative! His favorite band is Passion Pit, snow makes him happy, he loves his suspenders from Goodwill, and he makes longboards (how cool!). He is such a well rounded young man- artistic, athletic, and smart! Morgan says that the country he most wants to visit is Croatia, which I totally love because that's where my family is from. So Morgan, if you ever hit up Croatia, you've always got a place to stay! Good luck with your final year of high school, you rock!