Gail Werner Photography » Portraits

The Gorjup Family: 2011 Portraits

Gail Werner — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:54:34 +0000

When your best friend gets in touch with you about wanting family portraits for the year, you think one of two things: 1) The pressure is on to deliver because, well….SHE’S YOUR BEST FRIEND and 2) There’s really no pressure at all because, well, SHE’S YOUR BEST FRIEND. Tracy is my second sister…my biggest believer and fan and, coincidentally, her wedding to Kevin the first I shot on my own (yes, THAT is how big of a believer she is in me). I don’t know where the time has flown, but somehow between now and that first time she and Kevin stepped in front of my camera for an engagement session, I’ve been photographing every Gorjup milestone in between. Getting to watch a marriage develop into a family is such a blessing of the work we do as photographers. It’s even more special when the person you’re capturing it for has attended every slumber party you’ve ever hosted from the age of six (and still sends you links to those mutual, long-forgotten junior high fixations….Sweet Valley High…cough…cough).

Tracy, I love you to the moon and back — you and Kevin and that little half-pint Mallory of yours Mwwahhhhhh!

Her daddy can really get her going with the giggle fest There is something about this image that every time I see it, I fall back in love with it. Tracy lets me take her anywhere I want for photographs. Which is awesome and kind of like the grown-up version of being the teacher when you’d play “school” as kids. (Okay guys, now you go sit over here…… haha) What a cute trio! Does this ever get old? ‘Cause I know I never tire of photographing it! It still boggles my mind that Tracy has a 14-month old whose hair she can FRENCH BRAID. Yep, that’s right. She’s not even 2 yet and already Mallory could be a baby shampoo model.When Tracy and I used to talk about getting married and having kids and what those kids would look like (’cause…DUH..you TOTALLY have these kind of conversations in between games of M.A.S.H.!) she always told me she wanted a little dark-haired, blue-eyed baby girl. T, I’m so glad you got your wish. It’s beautiful to see you two together like this. Mama’s quite the bargain shopper …. this adorable trench? $12 at the Baby Gap. TOTAL SCORE And finally…rest assured, no babies were harmed in the making of this image. Matter of fact, Mallory and her dad LOVE to play “toss” (much to Tracy’s chagrin). Ahhhhhh….daddy’s girl!!!

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The Pinegar Family

Gail Werner — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:16:19 +0000

Meet the SUPER sweet Pinegar family! I went to college with Laura at Ball State and then, have gotten to know Alex as well as a little group of us from college have formed a book club that meets every few months. It’s so wonderful to meet up with friends who share a love of the written word as much as I do. When Laura announced to the group she was expecting, we were all excited for her. And, after his birth, Calvin became the youngest member of our group. And let me tell you …as we sit and discuss Hemingway or Fitzgerald over brunch, it takes everything in my power not to “flirt” with this little man. HE IS THE CUTEST BOY!!! But I’ll shush on books and babies and let the pictures do the talking ….

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I LOVE this photo! The colors, the love, the smiles — so blessed to capture moments like these for my clients!Calvin is at that age where he’s learning SO much, SO fast (no surprise with parents as smart as his). Here he is showing us where his head and eyes are. I think he’s pretty proud of himself Alex has a love of Russian literature. So Laura thought it’d be funny to capture a shot of their little man “reading” one of his dad’s books. Swap out Raskolnikov for a picture of Elmo and of COURSE Calvin is going to be in to it – haha! (I told Laura I expect these photos to resurface when Calvin graduates from high school ) Part of what I love of this age is just capturing a toddler on the go. As parents can attest, their own cameras can NEVER catch up with them! How sweet is this moment? The pleasures of parenthood in two frames. Laura and Alex, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART for letting me capture this moment in your lives as parents. You KNOW I just think the world of little Calvin and I hope this isn’t the last time I take his photographs. He is certainly a blessing in your lives!

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The Pinegar Family: Sneak Peek

Gail Werner — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:01:47 +0000

Internet, meet Calvin. And those are his parents, Laura and Alex, in the background. But come on, we know who’s the star of this photo session right? It’s this adorable little 1-year-old in his cute-as-can-be overalls! When I saw this image as I was downloading cards from our Sunday session, I knew it was a keeper. Lots more to come!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

The Decker Family: 2011 Portraits

Gail Werner — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:32:48 +0000

When Holly contacted me early in the summer about setting up September portraits with her family, of course I didn’t hesitate to say “YES!” I just adore this family and how laid-back they are. How, when we get together, it feels like old friends. It’s how I want every portrait session of mine to be and one of the blessings of having a business with repeat customers (you can see images from their 2010 session here). Big changes are in store for the Decker family this year—including the addition of another baby boy due late in the year. I love that, for this session, Holly really wanted to celebrate the last months of their life together as a family of three. And to honor that, she wanted this session to focus on a few of Evan’s favorite things. I’ll think you’ll soon agree with me that Nate and Holly are fabulous parents—the proof is in the pictures

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Having just turned the Big 3, Evan is ALL about firetrucks. Holly thought it’d be fun if we began the day at a firehouse in Indianapolis. And I have to say, it was a BRILLIANT idea! We started the session off with Evan on cloud nine! Hello you colorful garage door in a random alley. Yes, we WILL make you a backdrop for this family’s cuteness! Yeah, I know….three pairs of perfect feet. LOVE details in portrait sessions like this.

Evan also has a bit of a sweet tooth. So we thought we’d head over to Broadripple’s Flying Cupcake Bakery for a pick-me-up and another of his favorite things. But it was late enough in the day they were closed! That’s where Holly came to the rescue with cupcakes she brought (“Just in case”….) She really is an AMAZING mother.Evan, you missed some….right…..there.Evan has already decided to be a good big brother and help with giving the baby his name. Sooo….for now, the family has taken to calling their next little one “Spider.” TOTALLY a name a three-year-old would give his sibling And one more thing Holly surprised me with as part of Evan’s faves—MUSTACHES! (As she explained, “He’s really into mustaches right now for some reason, so we thought we’d have some fun with it.”) DID WE EVER! Wouldn’t you LOVE to have some shots like this with your parents? Every child should grow up with people who have this much fun while loving ‘em to pieces. LOVE the way Evan is looking at Nate here….he idolizes his dad SO much! (I also love Nate’s face here—sometimes, he’s more of a kid than his son—right, Nate? ) Do you remember what it’s like when a three-foot ledge is an obstacle? Yeah, I don’t either. Maybe that’s why I found these quick snaps so endearing. Thank you again Nate, Holly and Evan—it was another year of fun spent with you three! Can’t wait to meet “Spider” next year!!!!!

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Decker Family: Sneak Peek

Gail Werner — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:17:35 +0000

One of my favorite families is back in 2011 for another portrait session! This time around, they’ve got Baby No. 2 on the way! Nate and Holly and Evan, it was SO great to see you guys all again! Just a little glimpse at what’s in store!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

The Shafer Family (in 2011)

Gail Werner — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:03:29 +0000

Two years ago when I visited the Los Angeles area with one of my dearest pals, Stacey, we stayed with her sister, Erin, Erin’s hubby, Jeff, and their (then) newborn, Maya. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with California—or, in turn, with the sweet Shafer clan. I took photos for them then in Santa Monica—capturing what life was like for them with that new little bundle of joy.

Fast forward to the present and it was a blast to pay them a visit as the last stop on my trip back to SoCal in August. To check in on where they are at in their lives—a move from Ventura to the Calabasas area, the addition of a second adorable kiddo (this time, little brother, Maddox), and yep, still jealous that a part of Erin’s day with the kids can involve a trip to the playground in Malibu. Of course we made time for another little impromptu family session. And of course, I fell in love with these guys all over again.

Erin and Jeff, thanks for letting me crash with you guys on my last night in Cali! It was so great to see you all again!

We shot the majority of these images on a hillside at the campus of Pepperdine University. It was a GORGEOUS night. The light was perfect, a cool breeze in the air …As we were driving back, I was craning my neck out the window to soak in the view as much as I could when I asked Jeff to stop the car so I could take a photo. When I was in high school, I kept a pamphlet for Pepperdine at the top of my stack of college applications. I couldn’t believe there was a school out there that beautiful and I never ever dreamed I’d get to see it. Eleven years later, and there I stood. Breath taken away and all.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

California Session: Inna’s Family

Gail Werner — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:50:02 +0000

Inna would be the first to admit it was hectic making this session happen—but then again, when you have four beautiful kiddos ages 7 and under, how can it NOT be that way? Getting them all dressed in cute clothes (and then thinking about yourself AND what your hubby will wear? I seriously cannot even imagine!) Maybe, in the end, the frenzy of us all finding ourselves on the Santa Monica Pier and the realization Inna and I had of “We REALLY are making this work, aren’t we?” is what made me love this session as much as I did (and do). It’s a perfect view of Inna and Philip’s lives right now—hectic, crazy, but crazy with the love of these precious faces I’m about to introduce you to!

After our session, Inna wrote me the sweetest email–my favorite line? “At the end of the day, we still were able to relax a little bit. We got out of the house and had a fun family time with you. The kids loved you.” Inna, that feeling is totally mutual—thank you for hiring me for this session. It meant the world to me that I could make a session happen in a state I love so much! Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

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A few introductions–from left to right, that’s Sasha (3), Philip, Leo (7), Ariella (6), Inna and in her arms? The cute little Natalia (1). Is this a beautiful family or what??! The more I worked on editing these photos, the more I fell in love with the candid shots I snapped of Inna’s children. This time in their lives will pass so fast that I relish the idea they might someday look back on these photos and remember how close they’ve always been. So cute. I can’t handle it. And little Natalia? Peeking out like that? ADORABLE. (and how GORGEOUS is Inna? I hope I look half as good as she does after having children! WOWZA!) When I said it was “tickle time”, this is what I got (and do you notice Sasha at far right there? Ever so gently tickling Natalia? I adored that kid!) Monkey see, monkey do! FAVORITE! (Inna and Philip, your children are so well-behaved and sweet and loving–I spent less than an hour with you all and yet I knew this to be true–you are blessed!) Love these next two—the running around, the kisses, the hugs….Being on the Santa Monica Pier, we ventured over to the beach where these guys wanted so very much to impress me with their gymnastic skills. Leo, Ariella and Sasha, I definitely was! (PS-Ariella, you are just as beautiful as your mommy and Sasha? You have kind eyes too ) We were losing light fast but I tried to make the most of the precious evening we had left–Inna and Philip were so relaxed at this point, that these are some of my favorites from our session. Inna and Philip, these shots below? Made the whole session worth it! You all are beautiful!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

Emily: Portraits

Gail Werner — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:31:52 +0000

I don’t remember when I first heard from Emily. But when that email landed in my inbox, it was filled with sweet comments and a “I’d really love to meet you sometime!” Emily is an Indy-area photographer herself (who also just landed a job teaching kindergarten—right, Emily?!) She’s so sweet and will be helping me second shoot a few weddings later this fall. Since she’s being so kind to help me out (I love when photographers can “scratch” one another’s back in the name of being there for one another—I’m always looking for ways to foster that with other photogs ) I didn’t hesitate when she asked if I could return the favor and take some photos for her for some new marketing/branding materials.

Emily, you are SO much fun to hang with —and I hope you agree that these photos just make your personality radiate off the (Web) page! Looking forward to shooting with you this fall!

Does she have a killer smile or WHAT? She also was totally rocking the whole “feather in her hair” trend. After we hugged and first started chatting, I was all, “Wait…is that…is that a feather?” It was so teeny tiny and barely there that I just loved it! This was such a quick session (an hour+ of chatting followed by a “Oh shoot, we better get a move on before we lose the light“!) When Emily changed into this dress for a second spot she’d found for us to shoot, I gasped. See, I love polka dots. And navy blue. And her boots. And that truck. And this light. Okay, I’m shushing now ….. Overheard by me during this session: “Girrrrrrllllll….stop being so CAAAAAUUUUUUUUUTEEEEE!!!!” This whole set of images is so lovely to me but I am over-the-top in love with this black and white. Maybe one of my favorite portraits. Ever. And it was perfect straight out of camera too. And to end on — this sweet girl brought her grandma’s quilt along. You know, I like a girl who thinks of her grandma when she does a photo session, seeing as how, well, I kinda did the same thing

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

California Session Sneak Peek: Inna’s Family

Gail Werner — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:12:21 +0000

A few months before I left for a trip to visit a handful of dear, dear girlfriends in California, I had an inquiry on my Facebook business page from a sweet gal living in Los Angeles by the name of Inna. She happened to be the mother of four kiddos and noted in a comment, “If you’re ever out in L.A., I’d love to have you photograph my family.” Now, Inna didn’t know I was going to L.A., but it was so much fun to tell her I had a trip planned and that I would be delighted to squeeze a session in with her family as part of it.

Last week, we made that meet-up happen on the Santa Monica Pier. And in between chasing her ADORABLE children around as the sun set over the ocean waves, I couldn’t help but think about how wonderful the Internet can be. This picture—a sneak peek of all the sweetness that is to come—is simple proof of that.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

The Swanson Family

Gail Werner — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:57:11 +0000

Mandy was a bridesmaid last fall in the wedding of one of my sweetest brides to date, Ashley. She was pregnant at Ashley’s wedding, and shortly after she gave birth, contacted me about wanting to do a family session. In the weeks leading up to our evening together, the excitement in her emails kept building so I knew she was really looking forward to documenting her growing family, including her hubby, Darrell, and sweet little girl, Piper.

I loved getting Mandy’s insights into how Piper’s birth has just made their life that much more complete. When I asked her what the biggest change was to having a kid, I expected to hear about the late nights and the diaper changes, but Mandy’s response to me put everything into perspective and I just thought it was so so sweet I wanted to share it here. How many other parents can say the same?

“I think the biggest change is there is just a whole new level of happiness in our little family. Having a baby changes a lot, makes you put a lot of things in perspective. I have an amazing husband who is not only my best friend, but my soul mate. And now we have been blessed with a perfect baby girl … my life is so amazing and I’m so thankful!”

Mandy, your gratitude is infectious! Thank you guys for hiring me to document your family and thanks, too, to Ashley’s family for letting me come shoot at your farm once again!

VIEW THE SLIDESHOW

I adore this photograph to itty bitty pieces. Too, too cute! Perfect family photo, no? I always make an effort to capture a few shots of parents without their babies just because I think these kinds of photos grow more and more precious as the years go by. A good reminder to celebrate the love that started this family in the first place! We had fun showing Piper the barn. I joked it was a good thing that the blog doesn’t have Smell-O-Vision for these photos – hahaYou totally just said “Ahhhhh” out loud, didn’t you? We decided to take a few minutes to introduce Piper to some of the animals on the farm. I love the shot below at right because I have a feeling Mandy will have a shot like this every year with Piper as she gets bigger. I hear those babies grow up too darn fast …Piper, excuse me while I make excuses to pinch those adorable cheeks of yours! I included this photo because the dialogue happening here was hilarious:

Darrell: “Mandy, I can see two big drops of drool coming out of her mouth…they’re going to hit me in the eye, I so know it.”

Ahhh…parenthood!

Remember this cute pooch? I’m ending with my favorite photos of this session. A sweet mama winding down on a hot summer night with her beautiful baby girl. This is everything I envision motherhood to be, wrapped up in one perfect image.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.