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Baylee and Jayy Sneak Peak {Kansas City Wedding Photography)

What I get to work on tonight!  I can’t wait to post the full wedding.  Stay tuned!

Dawn and Matt {Kansas City Engagement Photographer}

I am a photographer.  I am not a writer.  If you visit my website and read the quirky, well worded paragraphs you may think that I am.  But alas those perfect words are written by my perfect and quirky other half, and I am left staring at the computer screen any time this task is left to me.  Its not that I hate writing or I don’t know how to write, its just that when I have a camera I feel like I can capture moments and emotion as it happens to give viewers  the feeling of a time they may have missed.  With words, I just don’t know how to say it so someone else would want to read it.  What can I say about Dawn and Matt other than they are a blessing.  They are a blessing to each other and they are a blessing to those who have the opportunity to be around.

When I first met them, I was impressed at their ability to laugh together.  When I actually got them in front of the camera, I realized that this is who they are as a couple.  I was amazed at how at ease they were with each other and it made my job so easy to capture them and the chemistry that makes them work perfectly together.  It wasn’t long into the session before we were all laughing together.  It didn’t matter what part of the city we were in, they brought a happiness with them that just made the locations even more beautiful.  We started at Union Station and the Liberty Memorial for its sweeping views of the Kansas City skyline, then we headed to quaint little Parkville, Mo for a gorgeous walk in the woods (complete with wild deer and turkey spottings), and then back to the brand new Kauffman Center for one perfect sunset.  I can’t wait for their gorgeous May wedding at Unity Village!  

Tan Perfekt Model Shoot-Kansas City Wedding Photography

You never know who you will meet at Bridal Shows. At the September Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show, my booth was right next to the wonderful Channa and her company, Tan Perfekt. After a stressful day of setting up and a very long day standing in our booths, we definitely bonded over sore throats and aching feet. When she called me to ask if I would do some promo pics for an upcoming bridal advertisement, I jumped at the chance to work with Channa and the gorgeous Rachel!  Channa is fantastic at giving brides a healthy and gorgeous glow! If you need a spray tan for your wedding day or just to celebrate these gorgeous spring days, check out Channa and Tan Perfekt!

Rachel before her tan:

Rachel after a Bridal Glow:

Just because.

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Chicago {Kansas City Performance Photography}

Once upon a time, I was a drama geek.  No kidding.  My husband still teases me about it to this day.  My sophomore year of high school I got cast in my first murder mystery.  I had a total of six lines and I died before the second act.  It was enough to get me hooked.  I had been dancing for years so I was already in love with performing, but acting was a whole different game.  You got the opportunity to be a completely different person, and for anyone else who can sympathize with being an awkward teenager, that was very appealing.  I jumped into every show I could manage and took any opportunity to be on stage even if it was only for a second or two.  Fast forward a few years and the opportunity to perform like that is much more difficult to manage with life and a family, but I still look for any way to be involved especially if I can bring a camera.  When my old dance company, Danson, the student run group at Idaho State University, approached me about a s special project they were doing, I immediately jumped on board.  Chicago was going to be a collaboration between Danson and the Old Town Actor Studios.  They wanted to garner as much community support as possible which meant they would need some publicity photos and I knew the perfect location.   We started out with a solo studio shoot with the gorgeous and oh so talented Lindsay and then brought the entire cast together in the Historic Hotel Yellowstone for the group pictures.  It was such a pleasure to be a part of this wonderful project.  Enjoy!

The amazing poster that Kendall designed.

Baby Rafe {Kansas City Newborn Photography}

Two weeks ago we had the delightful opportunity to travel to our hometown of Pocatello, Idaho to spend Kendall’s spring break (I know spring break in February.  Who’s idea was that?)  visiting family, soaking in the long missed Lava Hot Springs, eating at our favorite Mexican Restaurant (sorry KC, but you got nothing on real west Mexican Food), and catching up with a few old friends.  One of my oldest and best friends decided to go and have a baby while I was gone, so of course I had to see this adorable little guy and I couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures.  Back in my studio days, I would have hauled out flooring, backdrops, tons of props and baskets, and we would have spent hours coaxing brand new babies into milk comas and patiently posing these tiny bundles to achieve a perfect shot of a perfect baby.  With the relocation of my family and the loss of our gorgeous old town studio space, I have been forced to rethink my style on quite a few things.  Since I literally don’t have another inch of storage in my apartment for said backdrops and floor setups, I have had to be a bit more creative and lean towards a more casual and raw style for shooting newborns.   Rafe was no exception.  We literally only had about 45 minutes total before I was due to meet my family, so there simply wasn’t time for coaxing and elaborate set-ups.  It does help that this little guy has big gorgeous eyes and loved the sound of the camera click.  All it took was one adorable little baby, some beautiful natural light, a killer telephoto lens, and we managed to capture this guy in a way that makes you feel like you are really seeing who he is.  No elaborate set needed.

Pam and Roger Wedding Day

So happy to finally post my first wedding shot in Kansas City!!!  It has been such challenge and a blessing to relocate to Kansas City.  When we first got here it was a major culture shock.  I went from living in a small town in our own little cottage to a huge city in a downtown high rise loft.  Talk about some major adjustments!!  It has been a huge stress getting the business set up to operate legally in Missouri, and when the opportunity to shoot Pam and Roger’s wedding came up, I jumped at the chance to get shooting again.  No matter how stressful running a business can be, the moment that camera comes out makes it all worth it.

Pam and Roger got married on one clear and gorgeous November afternoon.  I was overwhelmed at how much their wedding revolved around their mutual love of Jesus Christ and their families.  What a beautiful day for one very beautiful couple.

One Amazing Journey

Not long after meeting Michaela we found out that they would be expecting a beautiful baby girl and so the journey began.  It started with one beautiful couple and a bump…

A very radiant bump…

A few hours of waiting and some serious pain…

all for the arrival of one perfect little girl…

and an even more radiant mommy…

Only to realize that this little beauty is going to be one serious heartbreaker.

Allie and Taylor Wedding Day

Allie and Taylor’s wedding day was a first for me.  Since I started shooting weddings almost three years ago, I have had a number of second shooters, interns, and assistants, but I have never been the second shooter.  Then my new friend Natasha (meaning I met her for the first time at the wedding) posted on Facebook that she wanted someone to help out at this gorgeous December wedding, I jumped at the chance.  A girl can only stand to be away from weddings for so long, and I was getting antsy to get shooting.  Of course I was delighted when I arrived at the Marriott in Blue Springs, MO and realized not only that Allie and Taylor were absolutely gorgeous (and the sweetest couple) but their bridal party was fierce!  We had a blast hitting up downtown KC for some amazing bridal party pictures before heading back for a gorgeous ceremony and reception.

Images from this post are special copyright Deanna Johnson/A Day to Adore Photography for Natasha Wratchford Photography.

Aubri and Lance Wedding Day

When Aubri first talked to me about shooting their October 2011 wedding they were planning a small traditional wedding in Pocatello.  A few weeks later Aubri called me to tell me they had decided to mix things up a bit and the wedding was heading to Las Vegas.  Count me in!!  We started the morning off with a private shoot at the the Las Vegas Neon Boneyard.  The Boneyard is a museum made up of all of the old neon signs that made Vegas famous,  i.e. piles and piles of old vintage junk (heaven on earth to me).  Of course the museum attendant was there counting down the clock and we did not waste a second of our glorious time.  From there we hit the streets of Vegas and stopped to snap some good old tourist shots (complete with wedding dress) at some of Aubri and Lance’s favorite L.V. spots.

Keeping with the classical Las Vegas experience, the wedding took place in the garden chapel at the Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel.  Aubri and Lance have one amazing family and the chapel was packed with special people who made the trip to be there for this very special day.

Oh and I couldn’t resist throwing in a few from Aubri’s stunning bridal session.

A Very Special Christmas Gift

Right after we moved to Kansas City I was talking to my mother-in-law and she mentioned how much she loved getting pictures of her grandchildren.  It reminded me of a very special book I saw at a trade show a few months ago.  The album was an ABC book of a small boy, photographed beautifully and illustrating many of the boys favorite activities and his personality.  I decided we would need o make one of our very own books and send it home for the grandparents for Christmas.  What I didn’t realize at the time was how much work this kind of a project was going to take and how uncooperative  my little bundle of energy could be.  My goal for the project, aside from having a very special gift for Christmas, was to photograph each page like a photographer and not like a mom.  No snapshots and each picture had to be lit and edited properly  to make the album as perfect and professional as possible.  Of course a few pages ended up being snapshots of our family, but I realized that sometimes those truly are the most beautifully captured moments.  I was amazed at how much inspiration came about from just carrying my camera around with me.  For example, one day Haven and I went for a walk to explore downtown KC a bit better.  We stumbled upon YJ’s snack bar down at 17th St and since our day was a bit chilly, we decided to stop and get a hot chocolate.  After one sip of the incredible foamy goodness, Haven started giggling because he had foam left on his lip.  I had originally planned something completely different, but milk mustache was too perfect!  I can’t tell you the weird looks we got as I tried over and over again to get Haven to hold still at the exact moment he had a good mustache.  People must have thought I was crazy.  Without further ado, a glance into my life and one absolutely perfect little boy.

P.S. I was in such a rush to get the album printed and sent out in time for Christmas, that I missed printing my own.  As soon as I get one I promise to post pictures of what the actual album looks like.