Amelia M. | Portraits | Ames Portrait Photographer

fall days call quietly
in windblown whispers
to come and play
before snow covers her paths
in a heavy blanket of white.

Snow, One Direction, and Mini-Marshmallows | Personal

It snowed yesterday.

World, don't get me wrong, I love snow! December is my favorite month, after all—twinkle lights, my birthday, hot cocoa with mini-marshmallows, heavenly smells wafting from the kitchen—it really does not get better than that! The cold that comes with snow, however, is probably one of the worst things. I detest it with more feeling than Anne of Green Gables had towards Gilbert after he called her "Carrots!"

When snow (and a 4* windchill) hits campus, I choose to stay inside if at all possible.

Meaning, I spent a lot of time in my room yesterday. Sitting on the futon. Working on my PR blog, reading my history book on segregation, drinking good earth tea, and finding this: 

I'm a huge sucker for music videos. ESPECIALLY when they include my current favorite boy band and tell a story about the power of photographs.  A permanently captured memory to keep—no matter if the person you love is deployed in a far off land, working in another city, or gone from this earth but kept in your heart and old family videos & photos from past holiday seasons. 

So! Snuggle up, watch this sweet tribute, and then tell me about your favorite treasured photo of you & someone you love in the comments!

Thompson Family | Stuart Smith Park | Ames Portrait & Family Photographer

you're my favorite part 
of this story
so tell it again,
and again, to me

tell it again || jj heller

The best kind of people are the ones that make you feel right at home—no matter where you are.  The Thompson family did just that for me.  Erin emailed me after finding my blog online, querying if I was available to do a family session...in Ames!  Of course I said yes, and we set up a time to meet a few weeks back.

The Thompson family is full of sugar & spice & ideas about the world through little girls' eyes.  Abigail and Elizabeth warmed up to me so quickly, and we enjoyed the fall sunshine & leaves alllll over the ground!  Baby Benjamin made sure we didn't forget about him, too!  He's probably the most loved little brother in Ames:)

Thompson crew, it was a true treat to spend my afternoon playing in the park with you.  Thank you for encouraging me in so many ways!  It means more than words can express that you would trust a complete stranger with capturing your family's photos, so that in 10 years you can look back on "the days of diapers, sticky fingers, and sloppy wet kisses" and see the faces of your most loved ones & all the memories they remember.  Your family holds so many beautiful stories, and I'm thankful to have been part of one on a windy October afternoon! 

Love always,
Amelia Renee:)

Grady Family | Fall Family Mini-Session

This family has grown to be so near to my heart. If I was still at home, I'd probably beg them to let me watch their kids because I think they are pretty much the coolest! ;) I've actually only known these five since this summer, when the Weimer family was staying with them...and we ended up hanging out all the time! Athena saw my post on instagram about family mini-sessions & didn't waste any time asking me to include them. Of course I said yes to that!

The way this family loves each other is so evident, and I just love each personality these kids bring to the table! I feel like they definitely show through the photos—Addison's sweet & sass, Lucas' gentle self, and Dawson's uber-goober silliness! Thank you so much for trusting me with your family's photos and always being so supportive. Squeeze those kiddos tight for me! :)

Amelia | Sneak Peek

One of the perks of being at ISU is getting to hang out with this girl. She's incredibly talented at anything art related that she gets her hands on (music, dance, painting, anything!) and is going to go so far in life. We took advantage a the gorgeous autumn weather to grab a few photos a couple weeks ago...more of them to come! ;)

Sesterhenn Family | Cedar Falls Family Mini-Session

Wayyy back in my youth, the Sesterhenn family moved down our street, and blessed our family big time! My sister and I had new friends to play with, my mom had someone to borrow flour from (or mainly just to walk with in the mornings;) and the neighborhood was filled with more joy and laughter than before.

Although our family has since moved out of the city proper, we've haven't forgotten this wonderful crew! So I was extremely excited to see an email in my inbox from Lisa, asking if I had a spot for them in my fall mini-sessions. These five (plus Daisy Mae) were so fun to hang out with on the most gorgeous fall afternoon. Thanks for rocking your session, Sesterhenns! :)