Sandberg Photography

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Last weekend I decided to take a quick trip back home to southeast Missouri, and breathe some good ol' country air. It was the annual Ozark Heritage Festival... a big to-do for my hometown :) I picked up my sister and nephew along the way... we both left our husbands at home... ahhh :) (just kidding Paul)

The day began with a parade consisting mostly of campaigners, farm machinery and big trucks. Joah seemed to like the firetrucks.

In the image below, on the left, is my cousin, Ethan. I used to go to his house every weekend and babysit him when I was in high school... that was over a decade ago! Time sure has flown by! The day had only began, and already Joah was pooped out! :)

Below is a shot of the amateur team sawing and some good ol' rail splitting.

I found myself a bit inspired in my mom's craft room. The sunlight was coming in just right and made every little knick knack and craft seem magical. She does such a good job!

Sunday, we spent the morning at Sam-A-Baker state park. It was absolutely gorgeous outside... I couldn't get enough of it, and hated that I had to head back to KC that day.

Below is my brother with Joah. I love my brother... I don't get to see him enough. Diana and I stayed outside late one night with him and just talked. It was nice... it hasn't been just the three of us for quite some time.

The weekend went by way to fast. I came home to rain and gloomy skies :( Ah well, I hear this weekend is supposed to be nice!

Tis' the Season...

It's that time of year again! Time for family portraits and Christmas cards! The holidays are just around the corner, and there is still plenty of time to book your session! Below are some images and cards I created for a dear family friend of mine.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Leah and Ryan :: engagement session

Sunday was such a gift for me! I had the wonderful honor of taking engagement pictures for my dear friend, Leah. We met at the Children's Center for the Visually Impaired several years ago. She was working as an orientation and mobility specialist and I was a teaching assistant in the preschool class. She and I have shared many moments together... some moments I'm sure we can't remember, and some I know we'd like to forget :)

She met Ryan while working at Sutera's in Westwood. They fell in love, and over the summer, he asked her to marry him. I have to give him props... he did an excellent job with the proposal. While Leah was gone to the gym, he placed a note on the door of her apartment. On the note he had "Will you marry me?" in braille. So perfect!

I love this shot of Ryan below :) He is so perfect for her! I almost peed my pants laughing!

Some of my favorite sessions are of my friends. Sometimes they hesitate to ask me, afraid they might be imposing... quite the opposite! I absolutely love it when I can capture special moments of the special people in my life. It's one of the greatest honors!

Leah, I had so much fun and it's always a joy spending time with you. I truly treasure our friendship! Ryan, hang on tight to her... she loves you and you are a wonderful man. I'm so glad you found her!

For a slideshow of their session, CLICK HERE

Another reason to smile... :)

I'll admit, there have been days where I have doubted myself... wondered if I was doing the right thing... if I still had it in me. Sometimes I have found myself getting caught up in "work" that I forget to have fun, and begin to lose focus. Yesterday morning I received the following text from my latest bride, Rachel:

"I can't thank you enough! We and everyone else are simply blown away by your work! You did an amazing job... I feel so blessed to have had you there! Thank you!"

Later that morning, I received an email from my dear friend, Leah. She got engaged awhile back, and last Sunday I did an engagement shoot for her and Ryan. I will have some of those images posted this week:

"I want to thank you for your time and friendship yesterday... It was really special to see you "in your element". Photography brings out such a passionate side in you and I just love that! ...... Ryan said to me " I like her, I see why you are friends with her" which I thought was sweet, and true! Of course I knew the session would go well, but he remarked both last night and this morning that it was "unexpectedly fun"! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! From what I saw yesterday you were able to capture the essence of our relationship; the true, untarnished, REAL love that he and I share. I tell you , it is like nothing I have experienced before! He is my best friend and my lover; I thank you for capturing the trust and love that he and I share. You are so very talented and I am in awe of your passion for photography and art."

I am so touched and honored. I say none of this to boast; I treasure this gift... it is not for my glory. I love bringing out the best in others... I love being able to capture the essence of their lives.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Wedding of Rachel and Drew

This wedding was so much fun! The girls joined me in our suite Saturday morning to get ready. There were so many of us crammed in one room; it was a lot of fun, and I know a special time for Rachel. We did have a small moment of crisis as a few light bulbs were burned out... not good when getting ready for a wedding. It took several phone calls to the front desk to get them replaced.

Michelle Meyer of Tawfik Inc. in Oklahoma City, provided the makeup for the day, and did an amazing job! I wished she lived closer to KC. She is very talented and I would highly recommend her. Rachel's hairstylist was Elexis Seabourn of Lollies Beauty Bar; she was also outstanding and did a terrific job!

Rachel was a little unsure about seeing Drew before the wedding, however, she was very grateful afterwards. Drew was amazing; he loves Rachel so much. He washed her feet and they both prayed together... what a sweet moment! (refer to the Bible for the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet)

Because they chose to see each other beforehand, we had plenty of time to get some amazing shots.

I didn't quite catch the full story behind the wheelbarrow; apparently it's a tradition on Drew's side.

Rachel and Drew are the perfect couple. I've never seen a family show such love and support. Rachel, I'm so glad you called me and asked me to capture this special day for you. It was such and honor! I pray God's best for you both!