Thompson Family | Ames Family Portrait Photographer | Ada Hayden

I don't remember the taste
of sweet strawberry summertime
completely grey
without you in it
the world just wasn't the same
I Know What the World was Like || Alli Rogers

Last fall, I got a sweet surprise when the Thompsons emailed me and asked if I was available to do their family photos. I was even more delighted when they asked for updated family photos this fall! To me, family portraits should happen more often—especially with growing kiddos. Last year, baby Ben was just a month or so old. This year, he's all grown up at 1 and cooing and smiling to get any attention he can away from his older sisters! Which, by the way, are two of the sweetest girls in the Ames area. ;)




















If you live in the Ames or Cedar Falls areas, I'd love to talk with you about updating your family photos! No time is better than now…especially since pricing will be going up at the end of the year. [Spoiler: that also means new and fun things ahead!] Email ameliareneephoto (at) gmail.com :)

Love always,

Amelia

Nelson Family | Jacksonville Beach Family Mini-Session

I've known the Nelson's before most- if not all!- of their kiddos were born.  Back in the days of learning about photography, I took Toby's 4 year old photos…look how time has flown! It was a fun adventure to head to the beach with this family of five, and run around in the sand for a short while before a TORRENTIAL downfall! Maybe someday we'll actually get in a full family session;)

If you're looking for some family photos in the Ames or Cedar-Loo, Iowa areas, look no further! I would love to play with your family & do something you enjoy while capturing memories to keep for a lifetime. Shoot me an email to talk about openings & details!

Love Always, 

Amelia Renee :)

Family Portraits | Hansen Family | Waverly, IA

'Tis the week before Christmas...and also the week of finals! Here at Iowa State, 23/7 quiet hours are in effect, hot chocolate & coffee is being drunk 'round the clock, and students are still putting off studying for that last final they have coming up this week. ;)

Since I'm possibly in that boat (just kidding, mom!), what better to do than post a sampling of the photos I captured over Thanksgiving break of the Hansen family?!  Katie is a photographer herself, and so it was definitely a sweet surprise when she emailed me & requested that I do photos of her family!  They were so much fun and I loved exploring Waverly (it's such a fun little town) while we were there.

 

Love Always,Amelia Renee:)

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:)

Summer Family Sessions!

I don't think for a moment that you wouldn't agree with me when I say, "Family is important!"

Am I right? Or am I right?!

I believe in the importance of family. Nothing and no-one can replace what a family is meant to be, how they mold & impact each other throughout the course of a lifetime. The tears cried on mom's shoulder over a scraped knee or broken heart, the way dad fixes broken closet doors...and knows that one spot you are the most ticklish...the way you are completely comfortable with them, the inside jokes shared, the memories of years upon years together. This is family—and this is what (and who) I love!

Life isn't perfect, it doesn't always play out...or look...like a hollywood film or Pottery Barn catalog. But life is real, and it is at its peak of realness when you are with family—those goofy, loving, sometimes embarrassing people you call home.

Life is crazy, it is not "picture perfect," and it's unexpected. I want to be there to capture that—today—for you and the ones you love. You never know what tomorrow will bring, so let us celebrate now while it is still here! You'll blink, and she'll be walking. Turn around, and he is packing up for college. Don't put off making & capturing these memories to put on the wall, in an album, and most importantly, in your heart. 

Because I believe in being genuine, in realness, in capturing real moments as well as the posed ones, I'm offering a new style of family session. I want to find out who you are! I want to build that relationship between you, the kiddos, and my camera as authentically as possible. Maybe that means going to a park and letting the kids run wild before grabbing Tropical Snow on a summer's eve. Perhaps that entails me coming over for a quiet few hours on a rainy afternoon, photographing the kids snacking, finger painting, splashing in puddles. Maybe it is a Saturday morning family outing for breakfast at the Waffle Stop and then stopping by the local farmers market for some fresh ingredients for lunch. 

Can you see it? Are you catching the vision?

Let's make memories of today for tomorrow, together. 

family sessions start at $200. book between July 15-August 5 to receive $50 off! email ameliareneephoto (at) gmail.com to schedule a session:)

Christian Family | Cedar Falls Family Photographer

Two lovebirds. Four beautiful daughters. Three son-in-laws. Four fun grandkids!
This was a hoppin' session for sure.




















I absolutely love when someone emails me & says that a friend of mine recommended me to them! In this case, sweet Anna Danforth had told the Christian family about my work...definitely an honor. :) So it was a lot of fun to meet & play/work with this lovely family back in October! We definitely picked a beautiful fall day before the leaves floated completely off the trees—I think we actually got the peak of fall for this session. ;) 
Love Always, Amelia Renee:)

the Virginia Rowenhorsts | family session

I've been waiting for seven months to meet & photograph this lovely family! SEVEN MONTHS! You see, I photographed the "Iowa Rowenhorsts" back in the fall of 2011, and soon after discovered that there was to be a wedding in the family in April! Staci & I quickly decided that we'd love to get together and do a session while they were in town, and it finally happened last week! Since 4 of the 7 of them are under the age of 6, we had to come up with something that would keep them occupied...and I think you'll agree, too. ;)




Dan & Staci, you failed to mention Michelle is a model! I think you'll be able to quit your day jobs pretty soon if she decides to go into modeling. ;)

who is that good looking couple?! shucks.


The R's live pretty close to DC, home to a well-known cupcakery. Well, we have our own cupcake shop here in town, Scratch, and they've got the best cupcakes in Iowa. So I grabbed some, and they were a big hit with these kiddos!






the photo below? one of my absolute favorites.









Rowenhorsts, I loved finally getting to meet you all! Come back soon...for more cupcakes, of course. ;)
love always,amelia renee:)