Jen Mahoney Photography

New blog

2009-04-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

I've upgraded to a new blog, please come join me there! http://jenmahoney.com/blog/

Beautiful new canvasses

2009-01-22T21:04:00.000-08:00

I've recently made up new prints and canvasses for my walls....images I've been waiting to get printed. It's so nice to finally have them up and I love the large sizes! I have a wall display of prints up too, but I must say that canvasses are my favorite by far, they look so gorgeous and modern and come ready to hang!!! no framing to worry about at all!
These are not the very best in product photography, :) but I had to share them with you all!
One of my favorite shots of my girl!

Just a little snapshot to show you an example of the scale of this canvas next to little C, who's 3 1/2.

Some people may worry about images that don't really have enough room around them to wrap around the canvas without losing something important, but here's an example of an option in that case. I just had it wrapped in black to coordinate and still keep the look and luxury of canvas.

Extra shoot -Jen Mahoney, Portland family photographer

2008-12-29T20:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas vacation is here, and I need it as much as anyone, after a really busy fall season. But when I was approached to do this shoot I knew it was something I'd be happy to do.
My client's father is in Afghanastan most of the time, supporting our military as a diplomat there, assisting in the rebuilding of schools, courts, dams, etc. But he was going to be here at home for a short time this Christmas.....so it is my honor to capture the family while he is here to be a part of the photographs. Thank you sir for the good work you are doing.

The sweet family:

Their gorgeous daughter...you two better watch out as she grows older....she is just so lovely.

And those lashes are just to die for!

This little man gave me so many laughs....I just had to include this silly one of him!

Both sets of grandparents showed up as we'd planned, after we'd done some shots of just the immediate family.

I just loved the connection between little T and his grandfather, they really seem to have a special bond and a lot of fun together!

T and I played a little bit....

Such a cutie!

We got shots with each grandparent, here is Nene C.

And the man of the hour, J, is such a charming gentleman, and we are all so glad he's safe and sound.

Papa E making T laugh again. :) And grandma C, lovin' on those sweet kids!

This might be my favorite of the shoot, mom and son being cuddly.

Thanks guys, and have a very happy New Year! Be safe!

Mark + Mandi

2008-12-19T06:39:00.001-08:00

My brother's wedding was earlier this month, to the most wonderful girl! We are all so lucky to have her in the family!

The first stop of the day was at the hair salon, and this little cutie greeted me there, decked out in full Santa gear.

Mandi, getting her hair done. Pay no mind to the photog in the mirror.
...and now the veil...

Cute little bride in big honkin' red truck!

The dress.

The first look. Mark could not be more happy to see his bride!
Gorgeous.

This little old white church was so beautiful and truly charming!

Our sweet nephew!

Loved this quiet road, it gave me a chance to try this Beatles cover.

All right, this had to be one of the best happy accidents of the day. We were in this grassy location when all of a sudden a big firetruck pulled in. The firefighters were so darn nice that they let us use their big truck as a prop!

All of the little ones....we had fun telling them that it looked like an instant family.

More playing in the street!

The rings. Mark's ring is so big that you can fit Mandi's all the way through the middle of it!

Hersh giving away that bride.

Don't hate me, Mom, I had to include this gem!

THE kiss!

Our dad is so handsome....doesn't he just look so dapper?

Another funny moment....as the wedding party was announced and took their seats at the head table, a certain little girl really wanted to "sit next to Aunt Mandi"! So of course she took the last available seat....the groom's seat!

Whose child was that anyway, how embarassing! :)

We had one of the most beautiful sunsets this evening and had to run outside to capture it! This golf course was such a great reception location.

So much dancing and fun followed, it was a great time guys, thank you for including me! And I wish you every blessing in your life together, congratulations!!!

My own lovelies, this never happens!

2008-12-08T23:44:00.000-08:00

I've been an awful photographer mom. I either don't buy the boring school photos or buy just the tiniest possible package. I mean, I'm a photographer, why would I pay them to do it? But I never get time to shoot my own kids, I'm always too busy.

But R was getting braces....she'll have them for nearly two years, so I knew that I needed shots before she got them! This is what I needed, a deadline!!! So I got them all together the day before the braces were to be put on, lol.

Please forgive the amount of photos, this is my problem, I can never narrow them down!!! But I get shots of them so rarely, so I'm thrilled to have them at all.

I thought that C's little pose was so cute, she did that all on her own!

Mr. model boy, I can't tell you how much he loved this....getting the right clothes, striking a pose.... He told me later that he'd been studying my senior portraits and the way they posed, hehe.

I was actually thrilled to get such natural expressions from B, he's the king of cheesy grins!

All right, this laugh is just a little scary, but I still loved it.

Troublemaker!!! You would think that my trouble would be with the 3 yr old, not the 13 yr old! Do you see her mug?

As soon as we settled in this spot, a big van pulled alongside us, with a fully made-up clown as the driver, complete with an ugly monkey puppet on his hand! Freaky to be sure. He leans out the window, cackling "smile for the camera" and drives off laughing hysterically.....crazy crazy.

The girl that was the focus of the shoot.

My daughter is getting older so quickly!

C had a little break-down at this point, not wanting to be in pics, so here she's sadly, shyly joining back in.

Extended family shoot

2008-12-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

A large group this weekend, sisters and their mom and all the grandkids! What a sweet, agreeable group, they were so great!
I love this one, so fun and loving!

Beautiful and kind, nice combination.

These kids were so cute, a couple of them hopped up there and the youngest was just a little too tiny to sit comfortably, so I found the perfect spot for her...front and center! :)

Such sweet sisters, and I loved the long hair in the wind, so pretty!

Sibling squeezes!!!

And I love it when we have a fun uncle or two in the group to make the kids laugh...we were lucky this day. There were some very interesting noises coming from the entertainers too, we've determined that I need to purchase a fart noise machine. :)

K was a natural in front of the camera, I could've shot her all day! Her mom asked me not to make her look too old, I hope I didn't, but mom (psst).....the girl is growing up.........

It's so hard for me to admit too with my own kids........I understand. :(

A little vintage play here.

Aren't J's eyes amazing? I didn't mess with the color at all in Photoshop and they're practically royal blue.....beautiful!

Uh huh, I caught this, guys!

So sweet.

Thanks guys, I had such a great time and could've gone on and on!

W and C, brothers

2008-11-27T02:15:00.000-08:00

These great folks are actually my neighbors and we'd scheduled this session some time ago, hoping for beautiful fall leaves. Most had fallen by the time our date came around, so we decided to go to the Pittock Mansion, which I love.
It wasn't rainy, but it was very cold, but even the little guys held up very well! I'm going to have to start remembering gloves though!
I just love shots like these....interaction and fun!
Such a personality on this guy...can't you just see the little mischievious smile waiting to pop out?

I'm only including this one for fun, if you look really closely in that reflecting glass of the door, you will see the dad chasing his youngest around, keeping him warm and occupied. Can you see them? :)

Such a sweet, sweet little guy! He was born just a few days after my youngest, it's so neat to have next-door neighbors with a little one of almost the exact same age. They have a good time sharing bikes and toys in the summer.

Ah, mister handsome!

I just love the lighting in this area, it's magical!

And we just had to do a clothing change, these guys are big fans!!! Go Beavs!!!

Thanks so much guys, this was fun! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Big happy family

2008-11-20T15:54:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to photograph a very fun family this weekend, with five kids. Reminded me a little of my own family as I was growing up, except we had four girls and one boy, the opposite of what they have. I love a big busy family.
Ok, is it wrong that I can't stop smiling at this shot? Poor baby had had enough. But it's the reality of family life...it doesn't look perfect, but it's perfect for you.

These are my favorite kinds of shots, unposed and fun.

Sweet M is so gorgeous, and known for her 100 kilowatt smile, but I think she's just captivating without it too. Beautiful.

Talk about personality, this cutie had it in spades.

I figured out the trick here...to get a great, natural smile from this guy....just ask him if the chicken sounds I heard in the distance were really coming from his mom. :)

Sweet guy, you can't tell where his allegiance in college sports lies, can you?

The baby, sweet baby P, was everyone's love. And I amazed at how happy he was in general, he would fall down and hop back up, chipper as ever.

The kids loved this idea. "When I say jump....JUMP!"

Thanks E family, it was so fun!

Senior pictures for S

2008-11-13T21:31:00.000-08:00

S is a really wonderful guy, open and warm. A great lacrosse player and student. We did the session in his backyard...his father has made some beautiful landscaping choices and we had to take advantage of the gorgeous fall colors.

I asked his mom to step in for a few shots. She was worried that she wasn't dressed for it or ready for it, but she looked beautiful. I loved the shots I took of her and her son, she was talking about him leaving for college and even I got a bit teary behind the lens. The emotion was right there at the surface and I know I'll be in that place sooner than I know.

Thanks so much, S. I wish you all the best in the coming year!

Beautiful boys!!!!

2008-11-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

When I was first contacted about this shoot I was so excited! The idea of 3 boys so close in age (two are fraternal twins and are 5 yrs old, and the third boy is 4 yrs old), and probably very close in size was really interesting to me! The possibilities and the visual impact of the three of them together...I was really looking forward to it!
And they certainly didn't disappoint. When they piled out of the car, they just could not be more cute! Their mom, who is gorgeous herself, by the way, had dressed them so beautifully, and they seemed so polite and sweet.
There were a couple of challenges on this shoot though, neither of which had anything to do with shooting three little boys. It pretty much rained really hard most of the day, and we were able to do most of the shoot under cover, but every once in a while the rain would let up and we would sneak out to try and get a few shots in a different location. Well, the clouds just laughed at us trying that and got us plenty. Those poor boys ended up with wet hair at the end, but the boys and their mom were all marvelous sports about the whole thing.
The other challenge was my own problem. My back had been very much out that week (barely able to walk) and I was still recovering at this point. I felt so stiff and was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with these three little guys, but I did all right, considering.
I love this one, they all look so cute, and obviously love mom so much. And...psst...if you look closely you can tell that it was raining at this moment exactly, I was standing in it.....and on the windowsill that they're sitting on you can see some of the raindrops. :)

Such handsome guys. I only got to know them a little, but I like how this shot seems to show their various personalities.

Had to have some playtime at the end. I played with the processing a bit on these last two, but I'll present the normal processing as well in the gallery, just in case.

Thanks so much, M! I had a fantastic time with you and your little men!

K's christening

2008-11-09T15:39:00.001-08:00

I love working with clients that I've photographed before, it's so amazing to see how their families grow and change! I photographed this family for their maternity and newborn shots and now it's time for some christening and family shots.
Little K has grown up so much, but still has the great, happy personality that I remember him having as a newborn, very laid back. And more surprisingly....still has tons of hair!!! It seems that most babies lose it all in a couple of months, but this little guy still has it, tons of thick luxurious hair. So much so that he had to already get his first haricut, at just 4 1/2 months!!! It makes him look like such a little man!
The happy family:

Can you believe this guy, mugging it up for the camera like this...eye contact with me and everything. I'm keeping this little guy....haven't told his parents yet, but I need to hold on to little natural models like this one. :)

Love this one, I can picture him in 80 years sitting in the same spot, such a little man on a park bench!

K in his gorgeous heirloom christening gown.

The cousins and extended family were equally gorgeous, look at this guy!

Some cousin love....it's gotta make you smile.

And if you could see this from the kids' perspective, it would be hilarious.....all of the adults and me behind my lens trying to get their attention by being silly, laughing, calling out with crazy voices, holding dogs above the photogs head....anything for the price of a great photo of the kids!!!

I think there are pictures out there of the other side....send them to me and I'll post them! :)

K's cousins, beautiful pair.

See what I mean....gorgeous subjects for me! And the clothing choices were perfect for the whole group. Just lovely.

K's other aunt and uncle, they were so kind to me, putting up with the poses that I suggested, with everyone looking on. Poise under pressure.

And I love the orange scarf, great choice.

These two were great, she seemed so sweet with him, seemed to want to give him a smooch between shots.

So I asked her to do it once for the camera. :)

I loved the senses of humor in this family, the dry wit and lust for life, what fun it must be to be a part of this family.

And it was neat for me, after having photographed K and his parents a couple of times, to see extended family and the resemblances....where they got those eyes, that smile. It was great fun for me.

Photo swap

2008-11-02T23:22:00.000-08:00

Another local Portland photographer and I decided to do a swap and photograph each other and our families. I'm sure you can imagine how rare it is for us to get in front of the camera rather than behind the lens, so it was very exciting to get to do this. You can see more of Laura's work here, including the photos she took of my family! http://laurareneephoto.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Laura!

H family/senior shoot

2008-11-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

I loved meeting with this family to get a few family shots before their son's senior pictures. It was incredibly windy, but I think it still worked out.
Loved the beautiful golden light in the shadow of these trees.
They were up for new ideas, and when I saw these two leaning trees and they had two boys, I just had to use them in a shot.

K, the youngest, was so funny, such a ham. It was so fun to work with him.

And then we got on to the senior pictures.....

It was finally dry enough to be able to sit down on the grass, yay!!! Don't think we'll be getting that again anytime soon. :)

Poor J....I asked him to "sit on that rock there" and he replied with "you mean the one with the snake?" Oh my goodness, I felt so badly, I almost had him sit on a snake!!!

And of course I just had to get a shot of him before I moved him away. Never had that happen before!

Thanks so much guys, I had a great time.

Scott + Denise

2008-10-28T00:14:00.001-07:00

Now, I've been asked before, so I must add a disclaimer to this post...I don't shoot weddings, it's just too time-consuming for me right now. But for my siblings, yes!!!!

I was blessed enough to photograph my sister's wedding, we were all so thrilled to see her marry Scott, her long time love. They are such a beautiful couple, very non-conventional, they do things the way that works for them and in a very lovely manner.
The wedding was a family event for sure, every part was played by family or practically family, from the priest to the florist (and even the photographer!) :)

Their rings:

I thought this was a fun way to display the beautiful shoes:

Dress details:

The couple memorized their vows for the ceremony and I caught Scott as he took one last minute to remind himself of the wording.

One of our beautiful nieces who was a great flowergirl!

Our sweet nephew, getting ready with the men.

Mother of the groom helping Denise get her makeup done.

Another sister of the bride prepared the bouquets and this one was gorgeous! I just loved the fall leaves outside and how great they looked with the bouquet.

Final touches.....

The groom getting his first look at his beautiful bride!

Bride and bridesmaid, two of my gorgeous sisters!!!

The sweet flowergirls!!!

Father of the bride proudly bringing his daughter up the aisle.

Fantastic musicians!

Father Ron, the brother of our sister's husband. So practically family, right?

Both sets of parents, emotion pouring out, and helping with the flower girls.

I loved this shot....look closely at the groom in the top right, it looks to me that he's making sure his mom is doing all right.

I thought the flowergirls were just so adorable, but I'm biased, I'm sure!

The first kiss!!!!

The only photo the couple actually requested.....I thought this was a fabulous idea! We gathered up every person present at the wedding and captured a shot of everyone all together, so unique!

I wish you both every blessing in your life together, I know you will take great care of each other. I love you.

Beautiful family....no rain!!!!

2008-10-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

You'll recognize one of the girls in this post as a senior I shot for a week ago....well, we scheduled two sessions in order to get plenty of family shots as well! You might also remember that we got rained on last week. :( Not fun, but we got one of the most beautiful days ever on the day we shot these! I actually pulled out short sleeves and a skort, might have been a tad optimistic for the day, but it was such a gorgeous day.
We wandered near the park where we intended to shoot and found this adorable neighborhood. The owner of this home was very kind to allow us to use his doorway for some photographs. People are usually so very kind and allow me to use their beautiful spaces if I just ask!

There were a couple of neighborhood kitties that really wanted to be in this shot, but somehow we missed them.
I made sure to take some extra time with M, just to be sure that we had her senior shoot covered, considering all the rain we had to deal with the first time.
This may be my very favorite shot of the day. I love it.

And let me take this opportunity to comment on clothing. I get a lot of questions about how to dress your family for a photo shoot. Some people like to have everyone wear the same color, but I actually prefer something along the lines of what this family wore. They coordinate, but it's not so matchy-matchy.

If you compare the clothing that the family will wear to one single outfit, I think you're going down the right path. In a single outfit, I might wear jeans, a cream colored top, brown sweater, maybe shades of tan and beige as well. So as long as they're in a coordinating color family, I think that looks great. I might even put one person in light stripes, or texture on one. And sometimes we add a little color to our outfits through shoes or jewelry, so a complimentary color can really go nicely. Just think of every family member as a part of one outfit and you will look great, without clashing colors and fabrics.

They brought their sweet golden to the shoot, he was a ham!
Very loving siblings.
My other favorite!
Just the girls.
Younger sister (also an M) is actually in my son's class, so I've known her for a long time, she has a very gentle spirit and I loved seeing her with her older siblings, she was such a sweetie! Here's a chocolate black & white conversion.

Thanks so much guys, it was so fun!

C and his best friend

2008-10-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

C was a great senior guy I shot this week. We were over on Sauvie Island, and had a great time just driving around, spontaniously stopping when we saw cool locations. I love that kind of shoot, so similar to doing a walk and shoot downtown. It's great to just wander a bit and find where the magical light is that day.

We decided on Sauvie Island because it really had meaning to C. He is out there often to train his sweet dog "Sooner". Sooner is a hunting dog and was thrilled to run around for us, he had no fear, busting through 5-ft tall grasses. We joked that it reminded us of the monster on that show "Lost", a mysterious creature you can't see coming at you through the grass and forests.

It's obvious how much C loves this sweet dog!
Ok, so I did guide him on posing, but he was a natural.
This was the funniest....you should've seen the looks on the faces of drivers as we grabbed the chair and ran off the street to let them pass. We got a few laughs for sure! :)

I adored the golden light here!

It's a lovely surprise to find these little pockets of perfection.

Thanks so much, C, this was fun!

More of M......

2008-10-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

I just had to share more of this lovely girl! She was amazing.
First, since I just can't choose between the color version and the black and white, I'm showing this picture here in another way...beautiful blues!!!

These shoes were to die for!!! And some different processing here....

Thank you so much, M...you and your mom L were so wonderful to work with!

It's the little things that make me happy

2008-10-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

Or maybe I should say it's the BIG things that make me happy! I've just figured out how to manipulate the HTML and post my blog pictures in a larger size! I am so doing a happy dance right now!!! No more double-clicking to show the pictures in a larger size!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

I've just got to hold myself back from changing every blog post in my history, it would take me forever....I've stopped myself at just this page for now. :)
And now, since I just can't post without adding a picture, one that might just be my new favorite.....

Is she not the most beautiful? This was the last shot of M, a senior I shot this week. This was my first shoot that truly got RAINED on, and this is what this gorgeous girl looks like at the end of the tiring shoot....what a trooper!!!

You can believe there is more to come from this shoot....back to work now.

P family sneak peek

2008-10-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

If the beautiful girl in this post looks familiar, you've been following this blog well. I photographed sweet R in her First Communion dress a bit ago and the family was kind enough to come back for more, this time to get some photos of their son alone and some of the kids together. But we had to get some pictures of the family as a whole too, they're picture-perfect and a loving, smart bunch.

This was the first shot of the day, most might balk at being placed on the dusty floor first thing when you've spent time getting ready for a photo shoot, but they seemed to trust me. :)
I adore this gorgeous old red door and had to use it!
Now here's the part when they might've thought I'd lost my marbles, I stepped out and around and shot through a hole in the fence/railing that was in front of them. I kind of love the perspective.
This one may be my favorite of the kids together, it really shows how similar their faces are. With just a Mona Lisa hint of a grin, I love them with more of a solemn expression like this.
Couldn't decide between the color or the chocolate black and white on this one.
Ah, they were lovely.

Gorgeous brown eyes and adorable freckles! Such a cutie.

Thanks for getting up early on a Sunday, guys, it was fun!

The happiest girl!

2008-09-26T01:50:00.000-07:00

I swear that this was the most smiley little girl that I've photographed as of yet! Miss I could not be more happy and full of joy. This family saw me last year for photographs and came back again this year...I love return clients! It's amazing to see the beautiful ways that the child has changed and how they're growing up.
Little I's parents are just the sweetest, so kind and obviously in love with their sweet girl. Melissa is a business owner as well here in Portland, she is a pregnancy concierge, helping with all the complicated things that come along with pregnancy, including registries, design, childcare, and childproofing, all with a focus on eco-friendly products. You can check out her services here: http://www.itsa-belly.com/ She's fantastic and is such a great help for busy moms!

Enjoy your sneak peek, guys!

You can just feel the pure joy here! She loved playing with the bubbles that I brought!

Lacrosse-playing, drumming senior

2008-09-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

T is a great guy, and we had a good time down in the Pearl District. He's a drummer in a band and plays lacrosse at his high school, so we wanted to feature that a bit.
A little texture and some great colors in this first one...I love this spot!

Hope you enjoy your sneak peek, T!

Beautiful sisters at the mansion

2008-09-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

A dear friend from Arizona came up here to get her gorgeous daughters photographed last week. Ok, maybe she didn't come up just to see me, :) she may have also been here to spend time with her in-laws, but I can delude myself just a bit, can't I?
We decided to stop at Pittock Mansion for our session, there's such variety there....gorgeous stone, perfect gardens and fantastic city views. There's no limit to the possibilities there.
So, without further ado.....here are sweet Z and B.......

(double-click to view larger)

We did a few shots with their gorgeous mom too:

Lollipops make the world a little better...every time!

C's sneak peek

2008-09-10T00:22:00.000-07:00

I had such fun the other day at the home of this senior. They have this gorgeous huge park just in their back yard, it was fantastic! C was the sweetest, such a great guy, you can just tell.

*double click to see larger

Smiling was really second nature to him, but I managed to get a few serious ones from him too.

We fit in some family shots too.....C and his sister T just seem to have the greatest relationship, honestly liked being around each other and had a lot of fun together. I'm really crossing my fingers that my kids are like that when they're in high school. :)

Beautiful T......wow, I hope I get to do her senior portraits in a couple of years!
The other member of the family....Cassie.....and we need to put the focus on her for sure! :)
Just one quick shot of the whole family. Thanks so much, all of you! It was so fun.

First Communion beauty

2008-08-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

We've been trying for a date for months to record sweet R in her First Communion gown, but the weather just wouldn't cooperate with us. Her mother made this beautiful dress and wanted something just a little different than the typical First Communion photographs. I hope we accomplished that here.
*Just double click on photographs to view larger! :)

R had so many of her own ideas...so many fun poses that she wanted to try. Here's one for you, R!

They treated us to dishes of gelato after the session, I tried a bite of Avocado (yum!) but ate Rose gelato, which tastes exactly like roses smell....crazy! We had such a great time, thanks to you both!

Goldrush and jumping!

2008-08-26T02:04:00.000-07:00

Meet Goldrush. He was our faithful companion on one of my shoots from the weekend. He was quiet and posed just as we placed him...and preferred to look at the water rather than jumping in. Hmmmm, easier to photograph! :)
M and L, two others on the shoot, ;) and they loved to leap! Some really impressive height in the jumps from these two!
What a gorgeous family I had the luck to photograph! Sweet, fun and just a photographer's dream. The kids were so well-behaved that it may have been one of my quickest sessions yet!

The weather was perfect, and the garden was gorgeous! We had to tiptoe a bit around a wedding being held there at the same time, lucky bride chose a perfect day!

Look at these two cuties together....I love it!

And M loved to pose for me, we had a lot of fun keeping expressions real and flipping around for a quick shot. More of an outtake here, but I loved the movement.

Thanks so much guys, that was such fun!

More out-of-towners :)

2008-08-11T00:17:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege to meet the second grouping of family members to visit my client today. So romantic and loving, and little H was gorgeous, a great poser for me.

Too cheesy for you, T? ;)

What a lovely girl. Sigh.
I'm such a sucker for the somber pictures....I know so many love the big smiles, but these are my favorites!
H and her buddy.

I love the joy of family interaction like this!

The same gorgeous location by the creek as shown below. Beautiful!

Thanks for spending part of your vacation with me, guys! It was great.

*Reminder that the pictures here are viewable larger when double-clicked.

My own babies

2008-08-08T01:45:00.000-07:00

It seems like I never have the time to run after my own kids with the camera any more, I'm always shooting other people's kids. :) But I've made strides to capture them more often, they're what made me fall in love with photography in the first place. I wanted to get better shots of them, I wanted to really capture them and who they are.

So, while I owe them each their own photo sessions, I had to get this shot quickly. They cooperated....mostly! :)

Out-of-towners

2008-08-06T02:50:00.000-07:00

A lovely couple will be hosting a couple different family visits and they commissioned me to get some shots of them while they were in state. This week it was their son and his family and I'll be shooting the next group over the weekend. This one was fun, I'm so excited to do the next one!

The property that we shot at was just extraordinary....here is a moment I captured as I followed the family down to the river.
Can you believe that this beauty is literally in their back yard? Amazing.
Sweet J was so great for us during the shoot and just look at those fantastic eyes!!!

What did I tell you.....gorgeous, right?
Little brother C, such a sweetie. I had to include this shot, it cracks me up. He was all smiles for his mom (and who can blame him?), but as soon as he turned toward the camera, this is the look I got. Love it.....vulnerable and real.
Back with mom....he's a happy guy!
And a fun one, working with textures for more of an antique look.
Thanks for the day, guys! Hope the rest of your vacation went really well.

Just in time!

2008-07-23T03:47:00.001-07:00

The maternity client from below ended up delivering early, just days after our shoot. Thank goodness we got the maternity shots done in time! Sweet baby girl "S" looks pretty darn happy to be here, though, don't you think?
I was so thrilled that we caught this great smile!
S was the most smiley and the most sleepy newborn that I've ever had, I think. She let us move her around a ton, it was great!
So content.
Recreating a shot from the maternity. This time with babe in arms. :)

S was born in the Chinese year of the rat, and I just had to incorporate the pillow that her parents had for her to signify that fact into the photo shoot somehow. I looked it up, and I am also a year of the rat baby! Just a few years' difference though. ;)

What girl wouldn't want a gorgeous chandelier like this in their bedroom? I would've loved it and had to capture the beauty.
Thanks for having me over guys, it was fun!

Senior reps

2008-07-19T02:00:00.001-07:00

I'm on the lookout for some fabulous senior reps for 2008/2009. I've got positions open for one boy and one girl from each local high school, but positions are going quickly.
What does a senior rep get, you may ask? Many wonderful goodies. :)
*To start, there's no session fee, woo hoo!
*Then, 15% off of any prints ordered from your session.
*5 low-resolution watermarked images meant for your myspace page or facebook.
*And a nice, big stack of rep cards personalized with your images to hand out to your friends

Below are examples of the rep cards:
front:
back:
front:
back:
For every card that I receive from a friend of yours who books and completes a session....cash back in the hand for you! Seniors receive $25 for each friend referred, in the form of a Visa gift card, something you can spend anywhere! That can really add up quickly, just refer 4 friends and you've got $100 in your pocket.
So give me a call or shoot me an email at jmahoney72@comcast.net to see if I've filled all the rep positions at your school yet or not. See ya soon!

411 cards!

2008-07-19T00:49:00.000-07:00

They're here, the hottest new thing, 411 cards have become a must-have among seniors. Give them out to friends...they have all of your pertinent information. With two sides, you can show off some of your favorite shots from your senior portraits and share your cell phone number, email address and myspace/facebook info too.
Exciting new styles coming soon!
front:
back:
front:
back:
front:
back:

Sweet maternity

2008-07-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, this couple was just so sweet, I'm sure they got tired of hearing it from me, I just kept telling them how cute they were together. So in love and respectful of each other. Mom-to-be is just gorgeous, perfect round belly and tiny everywhere else...just how every woman wants to look while pregnant. And can you believe that she only had two weeks left to go? Still very nimble, hopping up and down like it was nothing. I remember me at the end of a pregnancy...you needed a crane to get me up. :)
I wasn't sure what they would think of doing some ice cream shots, but when I suggested it I couldn't believe that they actually had personalized ice cream bowls! How fun!

I adored their modern furniture, and had to use it in the photos!

My favorite!

L&J's sneak peek

2008-06-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Just another wonderful experience with this great family! Their sweet baby made his entrance and is so gorgeous...and that hair is adorable!
For this first picture, I had to include some of the dad's handiwork.....he redid the nursery really well, with paint, beadboard, chair rails, the works. And I just had to fit little K up on this cute shelf. The big monkey was the dad's as a child, it was so sweet, patched up and everything, like his very own Velveteen Rabbit. I love incorporating items that really mean something to the family.
Oh, and my dad loves their choice of universities! Go Beavs!

This was a fun capture, I loved how the little man wrapped his whole arm around dad's finger. Pure love and trust.
This has to be one of the best presents I've seen. The baby's aunt ran out the day he was born to have this necklace inscribed with his name and birth date for his mom to wear. So thoughtful and beautiful!
Brand new happy family!

Baby A and big brother R!

2008-06-12T01:39:00.001-07:00

Had a fun time with this sweet family! R was just the best poser and A was quiet and sleepy and super sweet.

*As always, double-click to see photos larger.

Had to share this shot just for fun....baby A was blessing us with a little surprise and R was....surprised! :)

I love that we caught this little smile!!!

R & B and baby boy

2008-06-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

This couple was so in love and so adorable and their baby boy was so gorgeous, sparkling blue eyes and such a sweet nature, I'm not sure I heard him fuss once! They put up with the chill of the day (this is June?) and even getting rained on a bit while at the park.
R and B are some of the most sweet and genuine people I've met, it was a pleasure working with you both, and little man J too! Thanks!

N family sneak peek!

2008-05-15T04:33:00.000-07:00

They were the very cutest! Six beautiful kids and a marathon session...they held up well! Better than me, I was beat afterwards!
Thanks for hanging out with me, guys, you're awesome!

Sneak peek...L's maternity

2008-05-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

What a gorgeous, loving couple I was lucky enough to have photographed this week! They were simply every photographer's dream, really aware of lighting and ready to change around their furniture in any way that would help me get the shot. (J- thanks for helping me with my backdrop stand and those brand new, super-tight clamps!) And L is so fit and healthy, making heads turn as she continues her daily run at this late date in her pregnancy! She had amazing energy!

I've just started editing, and just wanted to share some of my early faves.....enjoy, guys!
(Remember to double-click on a photo to see it larger.) :)

Another candidate!

2008-04-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

It may have something to do with being involved in the political process with Andy's race, but my daughter has decided to run for President! (Just kidding, she's been planning this for years.) Of course, she is in middle school and is running for student council, but a mother has never been so proud.
As it stands today, she is running against two other girls, so it looks like we will have a female president after all! :) She has been jumping into this full force, figuring out her slogan "Don't be Baloney, Vote for Mahoney".....catchy, huh? She has gotten nearly every signature she needs from teachers and students, and has already written her speech to give to the student body....all in the first day of preparation!
My girl, so independent and strong, very few fears and trepidations. When she is asked to speak or sing in front of a crowd, she takes it in stride, like it's no big deal. If it were me, I'd be losing my lunch all the time!
Waves of pride wash over me as I look in her eyes, it's amazing the young woman she's becoming!

Two sweet brothers

2008-04-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

I was invited to photograph a gorgeous family this week, and they just couldn't have been nicer. The mom, D, was glad that I had experience with boys, having two of my own, but I really didn't need any preparation, the boys were just sweethearts! Full of laughs and smiles, and we even got their new puppy in some shots!
I've only just started editing, but had to share some of the cute ones I've already come across. Thanks for a fun afternoon, you guys....you made me feel right at home!

*You can double-click on a photo to see it larger.

Love the fun with dad!

I couldn't decide whether I liked this shot better in color or black and white....what fantastic eyes!

The candidate

2008-04-11T22:24:00.001-07:00

My dear friend is running for judge in a very important race and I've been blessed to have been able to do some of the photography for his campaign, for voter's pamphlets and flyers and such. Andy Erwin is running for judge in Washington County, please vote if you can, we have to keep criminals off the streets and every police association endorses Andy. The other guy was a career criminal attorney and Andy has been spending his time in the D.A.'s office putting away child abuse offenders. There's no question in my mind.
Andy Erwin for Judge!!!
*You can check out his site and Karen's blog of daily life in the chaos of a campaign here: http://www.andyerwinforjudge.com/index.htm

Princess Birthday Party

2008-03-03T08:58:00.001-08:00

I recently had the opportunity to photograph a 4 year old's beautiful "Princess Party". It was any little girl's dream....playing, crafting, dancing and laughing. Every princess came dressed as such, little colorful bunches of tulle bouncing all over! There were even three older princesses there to entertain the little ones (Snow White, Aurora and a fairy).
Unfortunately I neglected to bring model releases to the party, so some of my favorite shots can't be included here, but I have to share what I am allowed to with you all anyway. (Note to self: next time, remember to pack the releases!)
It was a fantastic party, thanks to C and S for letting me be a part of it!

Gorgeous birthday girl:

Thankfully food needs no release! :)

Big brother was there and was a great sport!

And had fun most of the time!

This last one, at the very end of the party, reminded me a bit of the Wicked Witch of the West, from the Wizard of Oz. :) Beautiful costume though!

T is here!

2008-02-19T16:22:00.000-08:00

Results from the maternity earlier......he is a beautiful baby boy! Thankfully I got to him while he was still all curly and had that newborn look. I was hoping he would sleep more, he really only took a nap at the end, but he was exceptionally sweet and happy, even while awake. He was very kind to be sleepy and give me some long blinks so I could get these shots.
Thanks to K and J....I loved capturing your handsome little man!

(Sorry, you'll see I'm having fun with watermarks here!)

Just one of the few we got with big sis.
We did a mini shoot with her as well, this is my fave from the group.

Sweet baby D

2008-01-18T10:31:00.001-08:00

This gorgeous little guy was such a dream. And he even timed a little event to occur during our photo shoot: he lost the umbilical cord while I was there! So I got to record it for the parents, even though I won't be sharing that here. :)
The first shot here is probably my favorite, dad is a mechanic and even though his hands have been washed and are clean, they are forever stained and a bit bashed up. I just love the juxtoposition of the soft, brand new baby skin against those tough, hard-working, manly hands.

Been a long time

2008-01-15T14:27:00.001-08:00

December was so chaotic for me, but fun for sure! Just busy, busy busy! I've really been neglecting this poor little blog, but I plan on catching up just a bit here. Hope you don't mind me posting a bunch at once!
This first one is a lovely friend of mine who is pregnant with her second little one, and wanted some shots with older sis. So fun! And K is beautiful and so open to ideas. I'm hoping for the most serene birth for little T when he comes.
Thanks for doing this with me, K!

Website pics

2007-11-25T22:18:00.000-08:00

Today I was able to spend some time with a great family. I was there to get some new pictures for "M", who has started a great new business and needed a new picture for her website. And since I was there anyway, we thought we'd get some pics of their beautiful little girl too.
I've got a few ready, so thought I'd give "M" and "R" a sneak peek.

Just for fun:
Love the lashes!
And I just had to share this shot, you aren't human if this expression doesn't make you laugh audibly (or at least crack a smile)!
Thanks for a fun day, guys, and for the Mexican Coca-Cola. :)

Such a blessing!

2007-11-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

Halloween turned out to be so much more this year for our family......we were blessed with a new family member, my nephew "D". I was lucky enough to be able to be there for the time right after his birth, and had a wonderful time just sitting back, capturing moments. I think that is my very favorite kind of photography, no posing at all, just hoping to be in the right place at the right time.
Mom and babe made quick work of it and are both healthy and happy, my sister is amazing!
Presenting.........new little "D"!

Some of the siblings checking out the little guy with the nurse:
His twin older sisters:

Very proud grandparents:
And the first shot of the new family:

Now if I could only get a moment to get her maternity and their more formal newborn shots ready! My poor family, they're so understanding about clients coming first!

Another "A" senior

2007-11-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

We started out for one of the many fountains in our town as a backdrop, just to find out that they were turned off! For the season or for the night, I don't know, but we had to improvise and find alternate locations. The waterfront and the Rose Garden turned out to work just great!
It was a very chilly evening, but "A" was such a trooper, even when I asked her to lay down on a cold bench to get the shot. But on the good side, at least we passed up the stone and metal benches in lieu of a wooden one! :)
"A" and her mom were lovely to work with, and very kind to let me pick their brains about high schools. Yes, we're coming up on that phase in life with our oldest, I still cannot believe it!
Thank you for a wonderful time, "A" and "A's" mom! :p

"A's" Senior Portraits (continued)

2007-10-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

"A's" Senior Portraits

2007-10-20T23:01:00.000-07:00

"A" is such a smart, great guy! Very laid back and sweet. I've been so lucky with the seniors I've met, it's nice to know that so many of them are still such good and decent kids.
We got some pretty decent weather on this shoot, even though I was worried that we'd get poured on. It did start to sprinkle a bit, but once we got the umbrellas in hand, it was all good. Everyone knows that it doesn't rain if you've got an umbrella!
Thanks for a fun afternoon, "A", here are a few of your shots:

Pirate wedding!

2007-09-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday I shot a wedding for a friend of a friend. The couple and their guests were very friendly, the wedding was definitely out of the box and a great time! Even the wedding cake was in the shape of two pirate ships. What a photographic experience!
Thought I'd give Michelle and Beau a sneak peek:

Best buds

2007-08-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

Sweet, sweet "M". Those chocolate brown eyes, and who doesn't love that red hair!
And then three happy buddies, just giggling away! Love it.

Senior shoot

2007-08-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

"M" was just a joy, so easy-going and pleasant to be around. She was open to all the different poses I wanted to try out and had an always ready smile!
There was a little excitement at the fountain we were shooting at....a bathing "beauty" going au natural! But "M" wasn't phased by it at all, she was very cool about the whole situation.
We had a great time at the different locations, and both "M" and her mom have been a great support for me. Thanks guys!

Sibling love

2007-08-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

This is the same baby that I was lucky enough to photograph when she was 3 weeks, here she's 5 months. "T" and her big sister "K" were so sweet together! Just lovely to work with!
And "K's" eyes are this amazing color of green....that girl can't take a bad picture!

2 year portraits!

2007-08-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

This is my girl...she turned two in April and I was so happy to take the milestone pictures myself! This was at a local park, and we made it into a family event with the rest of the kids, playing together at the playground after the "work" of getting the shots was done.
Clare made friends with a dog who was being taken on a walk in the park, she and Lucky (pictured) had a great time rolling around in the grass. He couldn't get enough of her and vice versa!
I like the picture of Clare with her brothers, they love her so much....but in this picture, is it just a little more love than she'd like? :)

Tying the knot

2007-08-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

"M", of course it was a beautiful wedding and I was honored to be able to help shoot it!

Brand new baby blog!

2007-08-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

This is my first venture into blogdom! I plan on getting a website set up soon but thought that in the meantime I would start my blog here. I wanted to have a place where I could share some of my favorite photos with everyone.
Of course I plan on continuing my blog once the site is set up too!
I'll start with sharing some baby photos. This cutie is the daughter of a friend of mine who was kind enough for me to photograph her little beauty!