Purple Lemon Photography

A Boy and his Rocky Donkey

Tuesday, November 10, 2015
As a business, I am in particularly interesting season, because as a person I am in a particularly interesting season. We thought that right now I would be on maternity leave, so most of our Purple Lemon work is on hold.  We are adopting a son from Ghana and his homecoming has been delayed. (To keep up with that story, you can follow our adoption blog, Ghana Love.)  This has left me itching to photograph, and with time for small personal projects. 

A few weeks ago, the sun came falling in soft stripes across our floor in the familiar way that it does each fall as the sun sits lower in the sky. Our not quite three year old's Rocky Donkey (his rocking horse) sat right in the shafts of light, accompanied by a sole cowboy boot.  As I began to photograph this little scene, our son began to engage with the scene and realized there was a stray string on the boot. Determined to fix the problem on his own, he got a table knife and began the detailed child's work of cutting the string. 

It was a such a pleasure to document this everyday scene, seeing the artfulness in our common occurrences, as my child matures and does the hard work of learning and figuring out his world. 

There are so often moments we have with details you'd rather not soon forget.  I love the photographs we have of my kids reading books with my husband on the couch. With projects spread across the kitchen table. Or of our family getting apples ready for apple sauce.  These are moments that are full of beauty and memory, and I have found a great love in capturing that with my camera both to share and remember. 

A year or two ago, it really struck me how valuable these tidbits are and how much enjoyment I get in photographing the experiences and the details. It's part of why I love our specialty of photographing weddings, it's full of experiences and details.  But it applies to so much more of our lives than big noteworthy events.  The little things are, too. 

We have even created a package called This Season that does exactly that. It lets me be a fly on the wall of whatever it is you do as a couple, a family, even an individual- as you do it on purpose with those you love. I'd spend a few hours just capturing the details of This Season of your life. 

As winter comes, often full of warm fuzzies, and you think you are stuck indoors for months on end, (First, consider going outside. It's nice.) consider it as a perfect time to use your own home as the location you have for This Season. 

(Yes, I know I have this exciting maternity leave coming sometime, hopefully sooner than later, but it won't last forever, so let's get something on the calendar...)
Then he climbed on the trampoline, which perhaps, lacks some of the darling aesthetic of his Rocky Donkey with it's neon orange duct tape, but still, a photograph I'd like to keep.


Fall Family

Thursday, October 29, 2015
One of the wonderful parts of my job is to help document families as they grow and change, following them from season to season.  This particular family I've know since I moved to St. Louis and have photographed them just as long. As we wrapped up this session Rachel mentioned a particularly hilarious photo I had taken of them at a friend's wedding several years ago which they had never seen. And it made me realize that I have scads of photos from years gone by of shared experiences and how valuable those photographs are of Brett with long hair and my son dressed in a coat that looks like a monkey in their apartment when we were neighbors (the 2nd or 3rd time). It's valuable to have photos of these big moments and small season changes from weddings to children and the fun moments in between. 

And this particular time together, it was extra special to be able to photograph Rachel's parents with them.  It was a difficult time on their wedding day when her parents were unable to make it to the wedding at the last minute due to weather and health.  But now we have some photos of them together with their grandchildren, and I hope these are special for many years.  


Today I'll share a few photos of their darling children. Here's J!

 
And little N, who just had her first birthday!




Anthony and Carrie's Alice In Wonderland Wedding

Friday, October 2, 2015
Friends of our family, Anthony and Carrie, had a local wedding celebration after some other recent wedding adventures, and allowed us a fun way to usher in the first weeks of fall.  For us, this time of celebration was well-needed.

This particular wedding had been in many ways, up-in-the-air for our family for quite some time as we anticipated our newest son, though adoption, to join our family here in St. Louis.  We had no idea if we would be in the country or if I would be on maternity leave, and had back up plans and back up plans for back up plans.  As weeks drew nearer for us to go to see our son, the weeks also drew nearer to their wedding date, and I did not know if we would be able to make it or not. While gone, we expected our trip to be extended and that our back up plan was headed into action. Then we had to unexpectedly leave our son in foster care for a while. After a harsh emotional week without him home with us, we were able to join in with Carrie and Anthony and enjoy a most beautiful September day.  (To read more of our adoption journey, head over to our other blog www.ghana-love.blogspot.com)

I began to wonder if I'd have to be like the white rabbit in saying, "I'm late! I'm late, for a very important date!"

This wedding was no doubt, one of great visual interest, unique inspiration with an Alice in Wonderland theme, and a lot of fun.  I have been to many interesting weddings, several relaxed and fun, but none complete with costumes, yard games, board games, and a food truck! What a unique way to spend the evening with your family and dear friends.  There is much I could say, but I'll let the photos tell the story of their intimate garden wedding and unique Alice and Wonderland party.





 Many congratulations and smiles as wide as the Cheshire Cat.

Maternity Leave

Wednesday, September 2, 2015


Thank you for your interest in Purple Lemon Photography!


I am currently out of the office on maternity leave. We are celebrating our new son and transitioning him into our family through adoption. We will be fully closed until October 15th.


Beginning October 15th, we will begin transitioning back into being open. Please see the following list to see when I will be available to assist you.


October 15th: We will resume email, scheduling portrait sessions, wedding consultations, planning sessions, processing orders

October/November 2015: Limited availability for portrait sessions (Saturdays only), wedding consultations, planning sessions, preview sessions (select weekday evenings only)

January 2016: Weddings resume

Summer 2016: Resume normal availability


Thank you for your patience during this time. Grab a glass of lemonade, and I will be sure to get back with you as soon as I am able!


In the meantime, you might see a few photos of our new little guy and a few photos from ongoing projects that are happening while we are closed. Stay tuned!

Baby K and Family

Thursday, August 20, 2015
Welcome, Baby K! We are so happy you are here! I'll start with a congratulations to our dear friends who have welcomed this sweet little one to their super-awesome family. 

I'll also take this chance to introduce Casey (the super mom pictured here) to any future 2016 brides who have come along to check us out. Casey is a dear friend who is also an excellent photographer, and she is my second shooter for most weddings in and around St. Louis. As you can see, she's got a thing for kids, so rascally ring-bearers and flower girls are charmed by her! 





Also, for the third time, Casey and I have managed to keep our maternity leave for weddings on time with one another as we add our third sons to our families.  We've been quiet around here for a while this year as we have been preparing for our new son to join us through adoption from Ghana. In the coming weeks, I'll have information regarding when we'll be open again and what you can expect from Purple Lemon Photography in the coming weeks and months!

E turns 2!

One of my favorite things about photographing portraits is when the photographs can hold artistic merit on their own, but hold deeper sentiment to the family for whom I photograph.  I have photographed this family many times over the last handful of years, and when Jen asked me to come out to her parent's home to photograph E for his 2nd birthday, I knew I was in for a treat.  Not only does their log cabin home hold visual character, but I was able to watch E engage in his current home which was the same place where his mom spent her childhood.

 How special to imagine Jen and her siblings looking through the same windows, 

swinging on the same swings,

rocking in the same rocker,

tiny fingers learning how to open the same doors.

I hope these photos are as strong of a gift for their family as they were for me to create.