family photography

annalee’s birth story.

This is one of my favorite shoots of all time. It is the first (and only, so far) time that I had the privilege of shooting what can be described as the most beautiful and unique experience in a mother and father’s life – the birth of their child. Every birth is so unique and I can honestly say now that I feel like every birth should be captured in photos.
There are obviously photos that I’m not sharing with you here, as they are only suitable for the Varnell family (as oddly discreet as they still turned out to be!), but I hope these capture and convey the experience and beauty that was Annalee’s birth.

On that note, I feel there is an intrinsic beauty and sexiness that comes along with a mother giving birth. Call me crazy, but I see it here.

Know a pregnant woman who should have this experience captured? I would love nothing more. Please have them contact me at alana.t.photography@gmail.com
I wrote a while back about why I’m the person for the job, so, besides the photos here, you can read my thoughts on that, if you’d like.

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work? oh, yeah.

Image | Posted on June 20, 2013 by alanatphotography

I am such a liar.
I said I was going to do another blog post back…well…whenever that was…I don’t feel like looking.

Anyway, I’ve been spending so much of my time on the Women: Raw. Honest. Loved. Project that I keep forgetting about the actual work I do for pay. (Which can be a problem, if you forget about making money for too long…yikes.) In any case, I do still do other shoots! I do!

This one was a bit ago, but I realize I’m so behind on sharing things that I’m here to do that now.
Meet the Deruyter family…I did Melissa’s maternity photos back before their little guy, Dane, was born…including a couple of those first. (Also did nudes of Melissa back while in art school still…not sharing those here, but, she’s been a great client…who now has moved across the country, unfortunately.)

In any case, no more talking. Here are photos.

(okay, just a few more words…the 55+ version of the project is taking place on Sunday!!! WOOOOOOP!!!! Look for the blog post about that, hopefully to come next week! alright, for reals now…back to business…) 082512_0312

deruyter5

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eat soup. drink tea. have babies.

Image | Posted on January 20, 2013 by alanatphotography

I’m a terrible blogger. I know.
I’d like to believe I’m a better taker-of-photos than I am writer-of-blogguns. Lately, I’ve put off both, however…at the start of the holidays, everything got postponed. We traveled to Hawaii (amazing and super fun), flew back to Seattle, and the very next morning i flew out to LA to welcome my best pal’s beautiful little baby boy, Milo, and assist the new parents for a week. Flew back to my own sick little toddler…sick little toddler becomes also-sick-daughter, also-sick-boyfriend, and, finally, also-sick-me. There you are, up-to-date. To give you an idea of how pathetic it is…I am currently writing this while watching Freaks and Geeks, with my hair looking like I may have directly applied butter to it while secured by a headband all Bret Michaels style. If I come out of this with my family still loving me, it will be a miracle.

There was some shooting that happened before all of the above-mentioned awesomeness/grossness, however. I’m gonna be a little bit short about this blog, only because I need to go back to nursing some tea, eating some soup, and hiding under a furry blanket. This is a maternity shoot that I did for the always lovable Tiffany, and her fabulous husband, Dave. They are a super fun couple, as you’ll see in the photos here…just the way I love ’em! I will share more when I am able to finish editing, and don’t feel like I’m coughing up multiple lungs. Until then, here are a few.

p.s. the reason for the photos here, Tiffany and Dave’s gorgeous daughter, Presleigh Ryan, was born last night. Much love to the beautiful little family!!!!

p.p.s. I’m SUPER excited about the photo shoot featuring some brilliantly honest women coming up. You should be seeing the results of it here, come mid-February. 🙂 (the inspiration for said shoot is detailed here: https://alanatphotography.wordpress.com/2012/12/06/if-you-dont-have-anything-nice-to-say/)

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every breath you take, i’ll be watching you.

Image | Posted on November 25, 2012 by alanatphotography

yeah, in true stalker form, i followed these guys, erin and seth, around the park. they had wanted to have a bigger group of their family for some family photos this year, but, unfortunately, no one else was able to make it come shoot day. so, yeah, i did seem a little bit like some weird paparazzi. there are probably people all over tacoma right now wondering, “WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE?!?!” so famous.

anyway, HI, BLOG.
things have been nuts lately. you know, there was that turkey holiday, which means my daughter was home from school, so we got a lot of playing time in with my little guy. that was fun. and i’ve been editing and living and planning and crying in the meantime.
okay, not a lot of crying, but i AM sorting out some personal stuffs that sometimes takes its toll a bit. nothing from my life now…i LOVE my life now…but, stuff from my past creeps up from time to time, and i must face it head-on now. too personal of info. for you? likely. but, you might as well know why i could possibly be MIA a bit these days. just taking care of stuff and becoming even stronger. YES. i’m not embarrassed nor ashamed of that. i shall hold up my beer and cheers all of you. “TO GETTING STRONGER. CIN CIN!!!” (sometimes the little bits of italian i know come out…)

okay, that said, here are those fall stalker photos. thank you, erin and seth!

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there’s a baby in my pants.

Image | Posted on November 14, 2012 by alanatphotography

my best friend is pregnant.
she is absolutely the most ADORABLE pregnant woman you will ever set eyes on. and i got to zoom down to LA and take her picture, along with her equally as awesome fiance. seriously, these two are some of my favorite people in the entire world, and i can’t wait to love on what i am damn sure will be one of my favorite little baby boys in the entire world.

scene setting for you…well, los angeles. sun. beach. griffith observatory. things like these.

p.s. the car battery died in the middle of our shoot, right before we were about to head to chase the sunset at the beach. if you’re going to break down, it’s best to do it with a super cute pregnant woman…

p.p.s. their names are peni and danny. i call her penipants. she calls me lanerboots. it happened years ago and stuck. danny has subsequently become dannypants, as well. so, the little mister can affectionately be called babypants at this time. 🙂 now i feel like you really know them…

these are not your mama’s maternity photos. as you probably already know, i like things a little different.

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calm down. she’s not really drinking that beer.

Image | Posted on November 5, 2012 by alanatphotography

yeah, i missed my sunday blog action again. these weekends have been busy. way.
trust me that you will not want to miss the photos to come from the shoot that took up yesterday’s sunday. JUST TRUST ME. i did a shoot for http://www.camp666.com/, and it is so ridiculous and hilarious, it needs to be seen. i just won’t be sharing the photos until camp666 uses them for their intended and super mysterious purpose. 🙂 stay tuned…

on that note, that shoot reminded me of the family shoot that i did for my own super funny brother…which took place before i ever started blogging, so, i shall share those with you for now…

be aware, however, that there will be a whole lotta shooting taking place in the next couple of weeks, which means a whole lotta sharing i will also be doing. i have a family shoot, and two couples shoots that will be taking place, after another shoot i’m superduper excited about coming up next weekend…i’m flying to LA to do a maternity shoot with my best friend in the universe, miss peni rae and her fiance, danny. CANNOT. WAIT. they are two of my favorite people in the whole world…and two of the most hilarious individuals i know, as well. amazing things shall happen. besides the fact that i will be leaving rainy washington and enjoying some SUN again for a few days! woohooooooo!!!! there is a small chance that i will also get to meet with one of my photography “idols” and will interview her for this here blog. 🙂 fingers crossed our appointment works out. if you haven’t totally admired her work already, you should do that here… http://christinechangphoto.com/. you’re welcome.

okay…onto those photos…(fyi, no children were harmed in the making of these photos. and no child ingested alcohol. promise.) prepare yourself for my super adorable nephew and nieces. 🙂

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ohhhhhh, to be a kid again.

Image | Posted on October 21, 2012 by alanatphotography

here are some more photos from my fall frolicking with the adorable baylee and ryker. the first few can be found here: https://alanatphotography.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/fall-frolicking-feelgood-phat-fotos/

i have been taking care of business and editing photos all day today (and drinking some beer with baylee and ryker’s mom and dad. yay!), to the point that my eyeballs sort of hurt. so, between that and the fact that i am lacking many words at this moment (and we’ve got a dexter tivo’d and waiting for us), i shall cut my speech short…hopefully, i can make up for it in photos. because i need my eyeballs to last.

on a quick note, i’ll be back sooner than later this week, as i had another super rad shoot with a super rad family yesterday that i’d LOVE to share with you! until then, enjoy more of these adorable guys…

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what’ll they think of next? ’cause i’ll shoot it. or…maybe not.

Image | Posted on October 16, 2012 by alanatphotography

i’ve been thinking about something.

there’s a somewhat new craze for birth photography sessions.
my thoughts: this is right up my alley.

why?

well…

1) i’m a mom. i’ve given birth twice – my daughter was a natural birth, my son, cesarean section…i know the goings on of these things.

2) i’ve been in the room for others giving birth. even had the awesome privilege of cutting the cord for a friend! never will forget that experience. i would be unobtrusive, where you would barely even know i’m there…unless you want to know i’m there…i have been counted on for my sense of humor in these situations as well. let’s just say that most people find me very comfortable to be around, and know that i like to laugh…a LOT. i’ll totally cry over the birth of your baby, too. can’t help myself…it’s the coolest, most awe-inspiring experience in the world. but, i will see through my tears to get some rad photos.

3) remember how i love emotion in my photography? how i love to tell a story? well, shewwwwwt, what is more storytelling and emotional than the birth of your child??? let me just answer that. nothing. absolutely nothing.

4) i wouldn’t plan on taking any shots that you wouldn’t want to show your friends…if you know what i mean…’cause there are much more crude ways for me to put that. i think you get the gist.

yeah, i love births. i love birth stories. i’d love to help you tell yours. i just don’t know how many people think this is of importance enough for me to make it something i offer in my photography services…thoughts?

that brings me to the subject of newborn photography. i don’t think i’m a newborn photographer. i think i’m a photographer of you WITH your newborn, but, not so much the photographer of your newborn propped in a boot, or a flower, or a pea pod, etcetera, etcetera…
don’t get me wrong…i took SO MANY PICTURES of my son after he was born, and, yes, millions since, in this past year and a half. it’s not that i don’t like newborn pictures…it’s just that it goes back to that whole storytelling/emotion thing…as adorable as i find your baby, i find it even more adorable how adorable YOU find your baby, and that is what i want to capture. make sense?

p.s. there is another new craze of wedding night photography sessions…like, not at the wedding. nope. just with the bride and groom on their wedding night. yup. no, i’m not kidding. and, no, i’m not interested.

here is one photo from our son’s birth…how i wish i had even THOUGHT about hiring a professional to capture such a time.

no photographer would’ve been allowed in here, but, having one a couple of hours later to capture the sheer amount of love written on our faces would have been priceless.

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wine. the family. not the beverage.

Image | Posted on October 7, 2012 by alanatphotography

guess what day it iiiiiiiiiiis…
that’s right. sunday blogday.
i’ve decided that i can blog to my heart’s content any day of the week i want, or NOT blog, but i must blog on sunday. why sunday? hellifiknow. i guess i just started this on a sunday. consistency. i lack it in so many things, may as well have it in this.

anyway, yesterday was fun. i had a family shoot with the wine family. you know how i love to have fun on my shoots? so do these guys. my kind of people. 🙂 they have had the more “traditional” type of family shots done each year in the past, but were looking forward to getting out of the box a little bit and having some fun…so, that we did. it became a “no rules day” for little ava, which ended up meaning that she could go jumping into lake sammamish with her clothes on and have a naked car ride home. think she’s gonna remember that? i think so. 🙂

so, i’ll share a few shots here…not too many, for the sake of not spoiling the rest of the images for the wine family and friends…after they have seen the rest, i shall share more with you.

i’m also posting a “review” of sorts that mona (mrs. wine) posted on my facebook page before we had even done their family photo shoot. it makes my heart smile. she’s a super awesome lady and i appreciate every word she said. (also, she sent me home with snacks after the shoot. yeah, snacks. how sweet is that??)

review…

“From me, your customer: Why you are going to raise your prices and we are going to love you anyway.

One shot. It took one shot, one photo of my beautiful daughter, to steer me to alana t photography. And it was unexpected. We have been using the same photographer for our candid and natural family photos since my daughter was born. They are terrific photos. I have been happy with them. Have referred folks to this photographer. We also have sat for the obligatory studio photos and they were just ok, but we did them.Then I took my daughter to her friend’s birthday party that alana t. was shooting. In one shot, one camera click, she captured my daughter. Her joy for life, her spirit, her love of fun and her inner happiness. One shot.

I actually have paid more for ok studio photos, and more for the more natural and artistic photos that I have loved. But, they have never come close to “That shot”.Before I looked at the rest of the sample photos on the site, I had booked our families’ annual photo shoot with alana t. photography. I could just tell.My daughter and her spirit and our love for her is priceless. If alana t. photography can capture some of that spirit and love, to me, there is no other choice.”

so. nice.
and then the pressure was on for their family photos… 🙂