Miss Alaska America Pageant

Events

In January, I had the honor of photographing the Miss Alaska America Junior High, High School, and Collegiate Pageant here in Anchorage. It’s definitely something a little different from my cute bellies, and little newborn booties, but I embraced the opportunity! I think it’s great to challenge yourself with something different every once in a while, so you don’t grow the least bit complacent. It keeps you on your toes! Not only did I meet lots of amazing new people by doing so, but I learned quiet a few new things (mostly about pageant life). ;-) Seeing the girls strut their thing up on that stage was so much fun! Let me tell you all about some SASS!! lol. This pageant has been hosted by Rita Corwin for YEARS, but this year she passed her duties over to Sarah Smith. After intermission, the team even put an emotional slide show together for her of photos taken while Director. Rita and Sarah (with lots of great help) put on a fantastic show that even included dancers from Studio 49, AND a DJ during the runway portion of the show. It was very up beat and entertaining. Last year’s Queens had the opportunity to say goodbye, and then the new Queens were announced! Definitely suspenseful stuff. I’ve waited until now to post this blog, because these beautiful Queens are heading to Florida today for Miss America NATIONALS. The pageant will take place on July 5th and 6th, and you can even watch it live at www.pageantvision.com. Please keep the three lovely ladies below in your thoughts as they represent Alaska!!

Savvy Images Family and Pet Photos Featured

A Yummy Engagement Session

Engagements, Pets

I have been excited about posting this yummy engagement session since before the session even took place when I was back in Texas not too long ago! This is my sister-in-law, her groom-to-be, and their fur baby Raad. How cute is their little family!? I just love that they included Raad in their engagement photos, but let’s be real…that was to be expected. After all, HE was the one who asked her to marry he and his dad (on a note that was tied to his collar). ;-) Raad is even going to be in the wedding. Just as he should be! I’m so eager to see the three of them get married in November!! As odd as it may seem to some, I refer to their session as yummy for two reasons: 1.) Because the sun light and weather were just about perfection to take beautiful photos. Even for Texas standards! It’s the little things, and another great reason to get even more excited about their session. 2.) Because anyone knows these two, KNOWS they they know a thing or two about really good food. They just happen to be major foodies in Austin, and the Mr-to-be is even a chef at one of the most popular restaurants downtown! Anytime I need a great recommendation in Austin, they are the first people I contact. That leads me to another of the many reasons that I got so excited about their session… they chose to take the second half of their photos in front of the “Butter Half” mural in east Austin! There couldn’t possibly be a more perfect option for these two! We had so much fun during their session. You can tell from a few of the photos below that these two are super silly…lol. What I didn’t expect (or think about) was how great it would be to see how much they both really adored each other. It’s a great feeling to see your family happy in love! I had to include a few photos of her beautiful ring also! Butttt, unlike most couples the groom-to-be has an engagement ring also. A ‘MANgagement’ ring, as they called it. It’s their thing. Maybe it should be A thing…? Either way, I hope you enjoy looking at their photos at least half as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Daddy’s Little Girl

Kids

This beautiful little girl got an incredibly cool birthday present from her awesome dad not too long ago… he scheduled a professional photo session for her with Savvy Images right before her birthday party! It was ALL about her, and I cannot even begin to explain what a handful she was! SO MUCH cute tomboy sass, all bundled into one pretty little lady (cute Disney Princess bandaid’s and all)…lol. She was so excited about her photo shoot, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to capture so much personality! We had wardrobe changes, accessory swaps, countless giggles, and SO many great daddy-daughter moments during her session. It was a little colder than we expected it would be out, but she was a trooper, and dad did a great job warming her up between photos. My favorite part about her session (in addition to all the cute sass) was that it was BEYOND clear how much her dad loved his little girl. It was seriously precious, and she adored him just a much! He also confessed that he knew exactly how full his hands were going to be in a few short years! How great is it going to be to look back on their sweet moments when she is all grown up!? We captured so much cuteness, that dad had an incredibly hard time deciding what photos he wanted to order. He definitely got some great ones! I’d venture to say these photos will be a birthday present that she’ll be grateful to have for the rest of her life! Their photos kinda serve a dual Father’s Day gift for himself also! With Father’s Day coming up, this blog post couldn’t come at a better time. I am thrilled to share a handful of their beautiful photos with you guys!

If you’d like to purchase a photo session gift certificate with Savvy Images for the awesome Father in your life, please contact us right away!

Savvy Images Mini Session Photos Featured

Mommy & Me Mini Sessions

Babies, Families, Kids

I just had to take time out of my weekend to share some of our Mommy and Me Mini Sessions with you guys! Only being our second series of Mini Sessions, I’m very proud of the turn out! Our first were the Spring Mini Sessions, and you can see some of those photos by clicking this link. I wanted to do something a little something different for the Mommy & Me Mini Sessions, and since the weather was SO nice, I really wanted to do them outdoors! Not knowing exactly what Mother Nature was going to present to us that day, I was grateful that all the Moms were flexible getting last minute instruction on the session location! I did have my heart set on a location right near the Savvy Images studio, but it ended up being WAY too damp there. I didn’t want all the little one’s leaving covered in mud! After finding the perfect location a little further away, we were good to go! Since the sunlight is even more unpredictable than the weather, I wanted to have a back up plan for that also. So I chose to use a cream colored canopy hanging from a tree as the background. It was the perfect touch of feminine to the Alaskan wilderness, AND it actually even served a purpose! Since the sun was beating down bright, the canopy worked perfectly to shield everyone from the super harsh sun during their mini session! And I can’t say enough about all the little CUTIES!! From serious stares, to shy smiles, to super outgoing giggles… I’m so glad that there was all age ranges and cuteness. Luckily all their momma’s have really great style, because all of their outfits were incredibly precious also!! I’m always SO impressed by my Savvy Moms!! I think they’re pretty amazing for SO many different reasons. Since we ALL know that they are always the person taking photos of their little one’s, it makes me VERY happy to know that they also have great photos WITH their little one’s now! Not only will they get beautiful prints from this session, but they even have an extra special surprise headed their way with those! I always like to make sure my Mini Clients get cute little gifts, but this group has been extremely patient while I perfected their beautiful photos. I’m telling you, they’re the best!!

If you’re interested in receiving updates about our next series of Mini Sessions, please be sure to subscribe to our blog (in the top right corner of this page). Then you’ll be one of the first to get more details on those!

Mrs Alaska 2013

Portraits

As the official photographer for the Miss Alaska Junior High, High School & Collegiate Pageant, and also the Mrs Alaska America Pageant, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and photographing MANY beautiful young ladies over the last several months. Not too terribly long ago, the current Mrs Alaska America, Gwynnedolynne James contacted me to take photos of her and her husband before handing off her title as Mrs Alaska. At first I was a little intrigued with her wishes to have her husband join along in her Queen portraits, but half way thru her session, having him participate made ABSOLUTE sense to me. And I am SO glad that he did. I already quickly figured out that she was beautiful inside and out. But barely knowing them for a just a couple hours, it was clear that he was her rock, and she was able to do such a great job holding the title of Mrs Alaska because of all his unconditional love and support. Not only did he completely and fully adore her (which was amazing to see), but THEY made an amazing TEAM together. As I’ve gotten to know them a tad bit more over time, I’ve learned something… Their marriage – and partnership – and pride – and attitude towards life is truly exceptional. They carry themselves and BELIEVE that standing by each other’s side that ANYthing is possible. Earlier I mention that he adored his Queen, but Gwynnedolynne definitely cherishes the heck out of him also. He is her King. It’s them against the world, and nothing is going to get in their way! THIS is what real partnership is all about. I guess that’s what you learn after eight years of marriage!? I am thrilled for them to have these important photographs together, and also eager to receive the HUGE beautiful wrapped canvas they ordered of themselves in a couple weeks. I have no doubt it will look amazing in their home! In the meantime, Gwynnedolynne will be passing her crown off to the new Mrs Alaska this weekend. I can’t wait to see all the ladies and their hubs decked out together, and find out who the new 2014 Mrs Alaska is going to be!

Savvy Images Photographer Headshots Featured

Siciliano Photography of Far North Photos

Portraits

Since moving to Anchorage last July, I have been very fortunate to network with lots of great photographers here. I’m even more excited that THIS Professional Photographer and I have actually become friends! Most of you may know by now, that I am on a serious “friends make life way more fun kick”, and this clearly further proves my point. This is Rob, the Co-Owner of Far North Photos. He and his wife Candice take some really amazing Alaskan Wildlife and Northern Lights photographs! You may remember them from their Bittersweet FurBaby Photo Session not too long ago. Well Rob has been working on something pretty big for a while, and they are finally ready to share their excitement with everyone… He has decided to broaden his reach as a Professional Real Estate Photographer here in Anchorage! His website { Robert Siciliano Real Estate Photography } was good to go, but he just needed updated photos of himself to show his new clients a little more about they person they would be working with. I was exited to hear about his new venture as a Professional Photographer, and extremely excited to be a tiny part of it. Just as their wildlife photos, his real estate photos are STUNNING. If you have ever tried to sell your home, you have to know that having great photos of it makes a HUGE difference. And even more so, if you know of anyone that could use his services, please be sure to forward this blog post along (his contact information is below)! Though you may not see many of them, I shoot quiet a few professional head shot portraits. Since Rob even had a cool story to go along with his, I just had to share them, as well as his big news. As a Professional Photographer, I know how weird it can be on the other end of the camera sometimes, but he did great. It started to sprinkle a bit during his session, but the light was just amazing! At least it didn’t actually rain, and now he has plenty of great photos to use in all his new real estate photography materials!

Robert Siciliano Real Estate Photography
www.rs-realestatephotography.com
rob@rs-realestatephotography.com
Anchorage, Alaska
(907) 980-1950

The DeMartino Family • Houston Maternity Photographer

Kids, Maternity

I had the pleasure of photographing this fun family back at the beginning of 2012!! The exciting thing is, two years later they have really good news to share… Not only did they just finish building their dream home in Pearland, TX, but they are also going to be welcoming a handsome little boy named Austin to their family soon!! Even though dad was an allergy sickened super trooper for this session, he is definitely PUMPED about that (being the only male in their beautiful new home)! Haha. Their beautiful twin girls have grown up SO much since their last family session with Savvy Images. Not too awe fully long ago, I can remember when their momma contacted me telling me that they were going to start trying to have ONE more kiddo to complete their perfect little family. And when they did, that I had to be the person to take their maternity and newborn photos! That is an ABsolutely amazing thing to hear, but it was right about the time we started considering our move to Alaska. Yikes! Once we did make our move, and she called me with her exciting news, we weren’t sure we’d be able to coordinate our schedules so I could take their maternity photos. =( At one point, I even recommended another great photographer to her in Houston. BUT, towards the end of my surprise trip home to Texas for Easter, we managed to make it happen!! Because she really wanted to include their fur baby, Brutus in the session, we got to take some photos in and of their new home. Their mom even made a special exception and let the girls jump on her and dad’s bed. We had to have some fun! Then we finished up their session at a nearby park. This hot momma and I have been friends since college, and her loyalty and support means the world to me. She loves and believes in my photography SO much, that she’s willing to do just about whatever she can to book a session with Savvy Images! Once Austin arrives, it’s clear that he is going to be surrounded by family with endless amounts of love, AND two awesome big sisters. I wonder if they’ve realized that in a few years mom and dad will even have two beautiful little built in baby sitters! When he’s being a handful for them, they’ll have to break out these photos as a reminder of how excited they were to meet their baby brother! ;-)

The Nettles Maternity Photos • Anchorage Photographer

Maternity

Once we started brainstorming and planning for this first time momma’s maternity photo session, there was no doubt in my mind that it would be a good one! After trading ideas, and several pins on our secret Pinterest board, we fell in love with the idea of incorporating a feather head piece to make her session really unique. A quick trip to Michael’s and a little DIY arts and crafts time later, we were almost set! All we needed was the perfect location for her session. I set out to finalize that last detail, and randomly/quickly came across the PERFECT spot. Seriously. Amazing. It was a location that I had my eye on for a while, that I finally took the time to check out. Thank goodness, because it just happened to have a huge TEEPEE formed from large tree branches! There is was…it was the perfect backdrop for her custom feather head piece, and the surrounding area also offered great variety for her maternity photo session. The rest was a cake walk. Even though it was her first time to have professional photos taken, she did awesome, and we even managed to get the daddy-to-be to jump in on a few of the photos! I had SUCH a hard time narrowing them down for this post. With their gene pool, I can’t even imagine how beautiful their little angel will be!? I know her momma is beyond ready to meet her, and I’m almost as eager for her newborn photo session! You will definitely want to keep an eye out for that…she’ll even have a beautiful, custom little head piece of her own!! ;-)

The Hefner Maternity Session • Destination Maternity Photos

Kids, Maternity

I am SO excited about posting these maternity photos on the blog today! When I went to WPPI in Las Vegas for a week at the beginning of March, I just HAD to schedule a maternity session while I was in town! And I was dead set that this said maternity session take place in the DESERT. Luckily, I have a friend who lives in Las Vegas, because she posted a quick little ad for me on her Facebook page. Thanks to her, I quickly found an awesome, beautiful and FUN momma that HAD to have beautiful maternity photos! I was a tad bit nervous scheduling a session on top of ALL my other workshop madness (knowing how exhausted I would be by that point), but I’m SO glad to say that everything worked out perfectly! Not only did my hot Vegas momma ROCK her session, but she had a PRECIOUS little girl nicknamed Chip Chip to add some MAJOR cuteness also. All little Chip wanted to do was run around in the desert checking things out, WITHOUT her headband…lol. That’s just something you have to expect with little one’s her age, but who can blame her?! She had no interested in taking photos, and there are a few cute photos from their session that I just had to include in this post. Regardless of their age, things usually never go as planned, and that’s okay! We still managed to capture some really cute moments because mom and especially dad (sporting little Chip’s headband at one point), were such great sports! I love photographing fun families, and it’s clear that Chip is going to be a really fun big sister. I am very eager to get their album designed and ordered in the near future!!

Savvy Images • Austin Professional Photographer

Austin Newborn & Family Photographer

destination photographer

Miss Alaska America Pageant

A Yummy Engagement Session

Daddy’s Little Girl

If you’d like to purchase a photo session gift certificate with Savvy Images for the awesome Father in your life, please contact us right away!

Mommy & Me Mini Sessions

If you’re interested in receiving updates about our next series of Mini Sessions, please be sure to subscribe to our blog (in the top right corner of this page). Then you’ll be one of the first to get more details on those!

Mrs Alaska 2013

Siciliano Photography of Far North Photos

The DeMartino Family • Houston Maternity Photographer

The Nettles Maternity Photos • Anchorage Photographer

The Hefner Maternity Session • Destination Maternity Photos