2011 reflections: personal

The original title of this post was 2011 reflections: weddings . . . and it was going to be filled with my favorite images from my wonderful couples of this past year. But I have been diverted. And when I went to write what was on my mind on Facebook, I realized it was far too much, and too long, and so here I am . . . my reflections of a beautiful, inspired, frustrating, amazing year . . . here is what I have learned.

Coming off a night of deep business reflections, the most important thing I know, that I need to remind myself of each and everyday, whether it is a note on my bathroom mirror, or a stamp on my forehead, is that happiness can only be found in the present moment. I am a worrier, I am a planner, and I take things far too personally. I also have a tendency to snowball my thoughts, make assumptions, and react as if what I am thinking about or fearing is actually happening. And I beat my fists and I cry and I get weird looks from Joe and I know in my heart I am being a bit dramatic, but I do it anyway. And in the morning, I wake up and I think, you know better than that. But in the present moment - in the true present moment - all is usually quite well. My children are beautiful and healthy. My partner is supportive, funny and makes me incredibly happy. My friends have been and would be there for me at the drop of a hat. There is money in the bank to keep us warm, fed and clothed, although I wish I could erase the day I was introduced to a pair of Stuart Weitzman shoes . . . in this very moment, life is wonderful.

The biggest business lesson I have learned, as this year comes to an end, is that we are all in this to succeed . . . for some, success comes in the form of seeing a photograph you took in the pages of Martha Stewart Magazine. For some, success comes in the form of simply earning enough money to pay the bills. For me, my own personal success needs to simply be happiness, to be honest with myself about what that means, and to then surround myself with the vendors and clients that help me achieve just that.

I wish you all a beautiful, happy new year, filled with everything you've ever wanted. Take 2012 one day at a time . . . and in each of those days, choose happiness. Choose to be kind, grateful and patient. Choose to be loving and generous. Choose to speak positively. Do not make assumptions. Do not make judgments. Dismiss those who do not support you. Savor every bite, and savor every sip. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Leanne and Brian are married!

Leanne and Brian are a beautiful couple who traveled to Montana this past July for a lovely little wedding celebration at The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon. Leanne traveled from Canada and Brian from Texas and they are now all settled in in sunny California . . . their families were kind, generous and wonderful to spend my day with!

Leanne's dress was stunning . . . by far one of my favorites of the wedding season!



The shoes were a wonderful idea - simple, white peep-toe pumps with these darling little flower clip-ons. They are quite popular right now, and they give you more uses for a pair of shoes than just your wedding day!





Dressed and beautiful!



The boys weren't bad themselves . . .







Married!



They were all smiles . . .







Some details of the part-ay!



I am going to leave you with the happy couple enjoying a dance . . . click here for the slideshow to see all the fabulous candid moments from their reception! Congratulations Leanne and Brian!

valentine's day boudoir special!

Trust me, ladies, he does not want a tie . . . ;)



The holidays are almost here, and while everyone's mind is on what to give in honor of St. Nick, start getting excited about what to give in honor of St. Valentine! It's time to think about scheduling a boudoir session, and my gift to YOU is $50.00 off my standard boudoir package!







Here's what you get:

- a 1 to 1 1/2 hour session with unlimited clothing changes/options (most girls do 3-4)
- a DVD of the images, edited
- an 8 x 8 genuine leather bound album with 25-30 images of your choice
- unlimited white wine or champagne to get you through the shoot if you need a little help ;)
- $250.00 flat rate price due at the time of the shoot covers it all!





I can't thank these beautiful girls featured here enough for allowing me to post some fresh boudoir images from recent shoots . . . we have some plans in the works for creating a whole new ambiance for future shoots and I can't wait to share it with you!



The last day of shoots I can guarantee your album by Valentine's Day delivery is Saturday, January 28, 2012. Email me at morganlamare@gmail.com to schedule today . . .

Happy Thursday!

the atkinson family

I love this beautiful family! I know it's a little late in the year to post fall family photos, but they still belong here, and I will always love the child-led family session :)



Nice face, Brent ;)



And yes, please bring your furry friends! I get asked this a lot . . . they are always welcome!



Seeester!



A little bit of playtime . . .



A little bit of snuggle time . . .



Keeping the love alive after two babes : )







And a tickle session to wrap things up . . .



Thank you Brent, Leslie, Carlee and Lia!

holiday cards!

Tis the season for sending out holiday cards, and if you're anything like me, you have the best of intentions . . . but nada happens. Boo! This week I will be featuring some new letterpress card designs that will be offered to showcase anything from a baby announcement to a save-the-date to a thank you card to a . . . Holiday Card! If you have a photograph that I've taken this year, last year, any old time, and you want to implement it into this design, please email me at morganlamare@gmail.com . . . we will plug in a photo of your choice, customize your text and signature, and voila! Holiday cards are finished! Please reach out to me by Saturday, December 10th so I can get your order placed in time. Season's Greetings!

This is the front:



And the back:



They are just my style . . . simple, yet elegant, and the gold is a fun step away from reds and greens. I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! Cheers!

thankful

My belly is still full, but what a wonderful past few days I had spending with Joe's family to celebrate Thanksgiving, and what they call Thanksmas. Joe's parents come from Walla Walla every Thanksgiving holiday, and because we don't get together for Christmas, we exchange gifts under his sister's teeny-tiny Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Joe's family dubbed the holiday Thanksmas, and I am so happy to be a part of this tradition for the past two years now (and hopefully for the next 80 or so . . . ). We ate amazing food (Joe's mom and sister are phenomenal cooks), and drank beautiful wines, and shared nothing but laughter and hugs. After Friday night's events, the shorties jammed out on Joe's brother-in-law's drum set, and I took this photograph of Stella Bella, patiently waiting her turn with her adorable, squishy, kissable cheeks. This photo reminds me of how much I love being a mom, especially when you get delivered such cute kids . . .



I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and took some good time for yourself. This week I will be wrapping up a few boudoir edits, finalizing client albums, photographing a newborn, and decking the halls! Happy Holidays!

the lindaman family

This past fall I was able to photograph a handful of family sessions, which I love, love, love, especially when the kiddos are so young and unpredictable. It's a fun time to get together and just play, which I know I don't do nearly as much as I should with my own shorties. Enjoy this beautiful family!

katie and ryan are engaged!

Booking Katie and Ryan's wedding for next September recently was one of those really wonderful, memorable moments in my business . . . they came to Bozeman from Seattle for a whirlwind weekend of wedding planning, met with various vendors all day on Saturday, booked me Saturday evening, and Sunday morning we were photographing a quick engagement session before they traveled back to Seattle. Whew! And the reason I say it was so wonderful and memorable is because I am finally learning the karma of attracting truly amazing clients who I know will fly off on their honeymoon as my friends. Katie and Ryan, you two are beautiful people, inside and out, I can tell already. : ) I look forward to the next year of communication ending with a fabulous, beautiful wedding day!

Onto the photos . . .

It was a beautiful fall morning, and the colors and trees were amazing. But because sometimes the autumn season can produce cliche photographs, it's a good time to challenge yourself with fun composition and focus on the couple. Just my thought : )

















Happy day to everyone!

a new month : )

I am such a sucker for a new month, a new year, and definitely a new week when the previous week had me involved in way too much fried food . . . point being, Happy November!

And point being, I love a fresh start. Everyday I look at as a brand new beginning, and make what's not working for me start working. Sometimes it's as simple as being a good girl and getting my laundry actually put away rather than live out of the basket of folded clothes. And sometimes it's practicing mindfulness, patience, and being present in the moment, enjoying the beauty of it. I have a beautiful life - a wonderful partner, beautiful, kind and funny children, and an amazing family.

In business world, you'll see my previous post was posted with photo borders I use for a selection of my client prints. I love the physical look of them, but I'm not sure they are working for me digitally. Stay tuned to see if I continue using them in my blog posts. I'm thinking not so much. A handful of weddings and portrait sessions will be coming at you this month, as well as my mindless ramblings about food, wine, Joe, and my girlfriends. :)

Enjoy this beautiful month of thankfulness and family and moving into the holiday spirit!

Here are the shorties post-nap the day after our annual Halloween party. They stayed up until about 1:00 in the morning, and we got the Parents-of-the-Year award. And they will spend approximately $200 every six months to manage their mops as I have to . . .