I’m not going to say much, I’ll let the photos speak for themselves, but I do want to say that I had another fun session with a 2012 senior. QUINN! I had the chance to photograph his twin sister Caitlin last fall for her senior session. And it took a few months to convince Quinn that he had to get his glamour shots done too. I don’t think it was all that bad either huh Quinn! He was willing, all natural and I just love the smiles we managed out of him. (Thanks Caitlin for all those funny stories!! HAHA!) Enjoy and I’m looking forward to watching you both walk across the stage in a couple weeks. Your parents are no doubt very proud of you both.

I was asked to do a shoot for our local hospital, which in turn had ideas of turning these photos into posters to hang up and send out to area villages. Excited? Yes!! I knew I would be working with someone fun, gorgeous and so laid back. We chatted about our ideas and visions for the shoot, and in the end, came up with this. Sherri in her element, bringing out the best. What better way to capture her free spirit and beauty than with something she loves to do. I smile at the images we captured, they make me so happy. As I was shooting away, I kept telling Sherri, “this is it, this is just what I love to do, capture the beauty in our every day life, especially the village aspect”. And while this may be a staged shoot, this still captures that tradition I hope to always carry on and teach my own kids. Anyway, here is a taste of our life here in NW Alaska.

Ahh, my first client of the year. How exciting to start up my season again, and with my favorite type of session, seniors!! Photographing seniors always gives me a rejuvination for life. Their perspectives and positive attitude for the future is so refreshing. Jens was no exception. What a talented and well mannered young man, surely to be a success in whatever he pursues. Enjoy these Jens and family; I had a lot of fun cruising Nome with you all to get these amazing images, especially that last set. Fabulous.

It’s wonderful to have a son. Levi tells me everyday that he loves me, and thanks me for everything. He really does have a golden heart, and I am blessed to be his Mama. He’s 3, and not for long. I want to cherish these moments, they are fleeting fast. Here are a few things about Levi:

1. Loves basketball…..(I mean, really LOVES it. When we go to the pool, he hangs out at the hoop the whole time!)
2. Loves food, and can eat at any time of day.
3. Learned how to spell and write his name this year.
4. Loves to read books.
5. Wants a spiderman themed birthday on his next big day.
6. Will play the wii until he is dripping sweat, swording is his favorite.
7. Insists on holding my hand at night until he falls asleep.
8. Loves going to the bank with me, just to score a lollipop from the teller.
9. When asked “How are you?”, he replies, “I’m 3!”
10. Loves Council, camp, boating, and fishing.

So our town has apparently been all over the national news for a little bit. A potential fuel shortage has left only certain options available for a winter fuel delivery. The winner? A chartered Russian fuel tanker escorted in by the USCG ice breaker Healy. This is the first winter fuel delivery by barge for NW Alaska, so it was exciting for us to see how the whole operation panned out. It turned out to be a successful and uneventful transfer, and after a week of sitting still in frozen ice, the Healy broke free yesterday afternoon and escorted the Russian tanker “Renda” back out to open seas. Here is a shot of the Healy as it first arrived and was making a path in for the Renda. We’ve had some amazing sunsets lately, and with the Coast Guard ship breaking through four feet of ice out there, it made for a great subject too. Thank you to the men and women aboard the Healy who sacrificed the holidays with their families and friends to extend their mission for this event. You made it all possible.

I love Christmas. I have a lot of happy memories of the holidays, from when I was growing up. Friends, family, food, church, community games, presents, visiting, laughing, vacation, a fresh cut tree, fireworks, races, dances. Winter is not my favorite season (by far…I’m allergic to the cold!), but all the activities and excitement of Christmas in Elim really made it special. Spending Christmas in a small isolated community (Elim, population 320), is so much different than Christmas in a city or even a larger town like Nome (3500 people). The closeness of the community, visiting, people stopping over for coffee all throughout the day, sharing greetings to others on the VHF radio, hearing snomachines roar by, caroling to all the houses and hearing the familiar songs that I love. I could go on. My heart was with my family and friends back home in Elim this year. I thought about all of you, especially my dear Auntie Ida who passed last May. I think this was her favorite time of year. I wish this new year will bring health, happiness and love to each and every one of you. Greetings from my family to yours. We took a drive today to run our dog (-29 degrees) and as most of you know, Nome has no trees. We drove to this tree out towards the mine, and were surprised to see that someone had decorated it with lights, ornaments and garland. This lonely tree, in the middle of the tundra with a beautiful mountainous backdrop was decorated! I ran out onto the tundra and took this picture and it just made me smile. It made my day. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Winter time brings a lot of things to mind. Crafts, the wood fire, holiday meals and treats, shopping, family. You know…all those staying inside activities. But a few days ago….on a clear and beautiful winter day, I got to do a session with this beautiful flower! Really, she was like a brilliant bloom set against a blanket of white. It was cold…yes, but she did an amazing job. I had to remind her that we were actually in Hawaii, and it wasn’t cold…we were warm! (Well, I was warm, all bundled up in snowpants, bunny boots and layers of sweaters!) LOL…I’m not sure if she went along with it, or if she just smiled and thought I was crazy. Probably the latter. Kacie and I had planned this session a few months prior to Thanksgiving. She attends a boarding school in Washington state, and comes “home” to Nome on occassion for holidays or summer breaks. So, it was an honor that she chose me to do her senior portraits, when no doubt, there are many many talented and amazing photogs right in her area! I’ll say these are unique, that’s for sure, and worth the small price of standing in the bitter cold! I had a fun fun time with you Kacie, and thank you so much for your patience with my ideas to get these photos! More to come. Can’t wait! Enjoy the rest of your senior year pretty lady.

Sometimes it takes a while for people to get comfortable in front of the camera. I know, because I am one of those people. I am much better at being behind the lens than in front of it. That’s kind of how my session started out with Brian. But as we got into it, his shell started to crack, and some of my “jokes” and things I said to make him smile and relax started working. He loosened up and by the end, it was like hanging out with an old buddy of mine. We had a lot to say and even had a few things in common. I really admire his positive outlook on life. He moved up here from Texas a little over a year ago with his family. That takes courage, especially in the last two years of high school. He loves it here, even the snow! He has big plans for his future, which include following in his Mom’s footsteps and going on to medical school. Wow, how refreshing and encouraging to hear of a young person with such big aspirations. Have a great year “Douggie”, and it was so fun to meet you and hang out for a while!

This town is funny sometimes. Well, maybe it’s just me, but I have “known” quite a few people before even meeting them in real life. Yes, the internet has become a big part of my world, and through facebook and other venues, I’ve interacted with a lot of people that eventually I get a chance to meet. It was like that with Jane and I. We messaged back and forth for quite some time and because of conflicting schedules and our crazy summer travel, we just never got a chance to meet…until now. It was a breath of fresh air to work with her family. They are cute (in a gorgeous sort of way), sweet, and down to earth. I clicked with them instantly, and their little boy, even tired and not much into the glamour shots, melted my heart! Thanks for being up for all my ideas guys, and for accidentally having the greatest ones too! Those candid moments really turned into special memories. Enjoy this preview and I’ll talk with you all soon.

I was stoked when Caitlin approached me about doing her senior photos. I knew even before we met up that she was going to rock her session. And she did just that. She is gorgeous, funny, and has a sweet bubbly personality. Her aunt, our chauffeur, had some awesome ideas for locations. Thanks Shari! Anyway, I think these images capture the true inner and outer beauty of another smart and strong young lady in our community. Good luck and enjoy your last year girl! It was so fun to work with you, obviously I didn’t want it to end! But I guess three hours of camera time will do, for now.