Shumway Family

This family is AMAZING. Kenna and Josh are such loving and HILARIOUS parents to their sweet little Harley. And Harley... Couldn't you just die looking at those cute little dimples?!

If you are interested in booking a session with me, please contact me at susanmonsonphotography(at)gmail(dot)com.

Bockholt Family

I've known this sweet family for years now- Since Joshua was known as "Baby Joshua" around these parts. Now they have darling baby Jack too! It has been so fun to watch this loving family grow! Blake and Allison are such great parents and I am honored to have been welcomed back to take this years family photos.

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If you are interested in booking a session with me, please contact me at susanmonsonphotography(at)gmail(dot)com.

Inspired by Art

I have long been inspired by art. When I was a little girl, I would spend HOURS and HOURS drawing. I was convinced that if I practiced enough I could make my dream of animating films for Disney a reality.

I was also OBSESSED with photo books. Particularly photo books that had a photojournalistic approach to pictures. I LOVED seeing life captured. I loved imagining who those people in the portraits were. I was always so moved by photography.

When I was 8 I fell in love with Pierre-Auguste Renoir. I loved his paintings and wanted to be just like him. I remember going to the local library and checking out a GIANT book filled with his paintings and going home and trying to duplicate his work. My favorites were the paintings of people doing ordinary things, like having a picnic. Just moments that are seemingly uneventful captured and immortalized forever. A mere glimpse in to the lives of others. I found it profoundly beautiful. (Of course I didn't know why I loved them, but I really did).

I always have been affected by art, and have striven to create my own. I am still trying.

I want to share with you some images that I find inspiring... Images and paintings created by artists.

(I do not have permission or copyright for these images, all are listed by name as I want to give credit where credit is due).

The Swing by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Migrant Mother by Dorthea Lange

The Tetons and the Snake River by Ansel Adams

Dali Atomicus by Philippe Halsman

Picasso draws a Centaur by Gjon Mili

Now, don't you just want to go out and CREATE something?! So much beauty and creativity!

With Love,
Susan

Hazel and Justin Sneak Peek

Tonight I met the lovely Hazel and her sweet fiance Justin. They are so in love, and I am lucky enough to be the photographer they have hired for not only their engagements, but for their wedding as well! I am so excited!

Without further ado...

If you are interested in booking a session with me, please contact me at susanmonsonphotography(at)gmail(dot)com.

Scarlet and Raphael Sneak Peek

I was so excited when Scarlet contacted me about hiring me to photograph her upcoming wedding to Raphael. Here is a sneak peek at their engagement session...

If you are interested in booking a session with me, please contact me at susanmonsonphotography(at)gmail(dot)com.

A little inspiration...

I wanted to share a little bit of some things that have left me inspired as of late. The first is a video of two of my favorite musicians, MATT COSTA AND JACK JOHNSON. I have long admired both of their music and Each of them separately has lifted my soul with his music. Music moves me and inspires me in a way that nothing else can. I am deeply affected by music, and when I find a personal connection in the music, my heart rejoices and I am left feeling completely and utterly inspired.

I have had the privilege of seeing both of these men perform, but never together. Well, when I stumbled across this video yesterday, you have to understand how happy it made me. They each have a different style that is unique and beautiful in it's own rite. However, when the two styles are blended, you have complete loveliness that to me is just about as perfect as you can get. Their voices together are so incredible. It seriously gives me chills. (Yes I love them that much).

The second is also a video, but it isn't a MUSIC video. It isn't about listening as much as it is about watching. Beauty is all around us, and sometimes we're lucky enough to see it. But we have to look and WANT to see it. I have to add a disclaimer in that I am TERRIFIED of birds. I think this experience would be frightening, and yet, I STILL found beauty in this. So much beauty. This is one of the greatest gifts we are given: LIFE. Living, breathing, life. This video brought tears to my eyes as I watched something I will probably NEVER witness captured on film. This very short film left me inspired to capture beauty and those fleeting moments that, if we hadn't witnessed them ourselves, we wouldn't believe.

The last is a link to a movie called I'm Here, that is about 30 or so minutes long, but I find SO beautiful. I first saw this a few years ago, and it left me feeling psyched to capture what it made me feel. The story of giving yourself completely for love, because the opposite, (loneliness) is much worse than losing yourself. It is a quirky, odd film by Spike Jonze, and as I have already said it is so beautiful. I cry every time I watch it, and even now, as I just think about it I start to feel a little emotional. I love everything about this movie.

I'M HERE (you must have the latest version of flash to enter the site).

So, those are a few things I have found inspirational, and I wanted to share them with you. What inspires you? GO FIND OUT!

With Love,
Susan

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge {Happiness}

Here is my submission to the I Heart Faces contest this week! The theme is Happiness and I couldn't think of a better display of happiness than a brand new mother.

You can see more from this session here.

This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com Photo Challenge Submission