Shandy Vogt Photography

My Own little Boy - Nathan

2011-04-01T22:47:00.000-06:00

Spring Break. It started off cold and wet here in Idaho! I'm sure everyone was just as excited as I was when the sun came out yesterday and stayed for 48 hours! We stayed pretty close to home this week but we did want to have a "family fun day" sometime while all of the kids were home. We figured Friday would be the best and a planned to have a picnic lunch down at one of the parks and then hit the Discovery Center. Every other family in Boise must have had the same idea because the park was PACKED! But it felt so glorious to be out in the fresh air and enjoying fresh strawberries (among other goodies!). The older boys and John played catch with the Football while the girls and Nathan played on the playground equipment... it was perfect! After we got back, my little Nathan (who's 4 and so much fun!) wanted me to take him "to the park at my school" so after dinner he and I headed back outside. I have made a goal for myself to take more pictures of my own children and document their "everyday life" and so I grabbed my camera and off we went! We had a lot of fun and he seemed so excited to show off for me and prove how he was such a "big boy!" His latest thing is to fold his arms and say "I'm a baaaad boy!" yet he is so sweet and cute when he does it! LOL...

We played until the sun went down and walked back to our vehicle under a beautiful sunset!

My little girls

2011-03-28T11:51:00.000-06:00

a picture from Christmas time. My sweet little girls wearing their Christmas dresses. They were the most adorable things you ever did see!! (no, not biased in the least ;)

Kicking off 2011

2011-03-23T14:34:00.003-06:00

Spring is just around the corner (HOPEFULLY!) and with that, I'll be kicking off the 2011 Season of Shandy Vogt Photography! Over the past several months I've taken a step back and evaluated my life. What's important to me. What's not. What's most deserving of my time. What's not. What do I have a passion for? What have I been doing only because I feel obligated? Where do I want this year to take me? As I have thought about these questions, I've had some thoughts on the 3 most biggest influences in my life.

1). My Heavenly Father. I want to help and serve others in a way that he would be pleased. I want to make good choices and follow the commandments. I want to develop the talents that he has blessed me with.

2) My family. Being a mom to 6 children is hard work! LOL Just running a household of 8 takes a lot of time and logistical management! Even the basics of just keeping everyone fed and in clean clothes is no easy task. But I love it! I want to be there for my family - to teach them, to care for them, to play with them, to love them (to have time to go out on dates with my hubby!)

3) My photography. I love photography. I love blessing others with treasures that they'll look back upon for years and "remember when..." I love being artistic and creative and being behind a lens. I love meeting new and wonderful people and interacting with them. I love seeing how filled with emotion they get when they see their photos for the first time. I love being the owner of Shandy Vogt Photography!

So as I sat there and pondered on where I wanted this year to take me... I knew I couldn't be as "busy" as I was last year. I had started off the 2010 season saying I was only going to take 4 sessions a month. period. By the end of the year, I was doing close to 4 a week! I feel so humbled and honored that there are so many people in the Boise Valley (and surrounding areas) that want me to photograph them! It's hard for me to say "No" and I have to admit that it's quite a thrill to see a client inquiry email in your inbox! So looking ahead to 2011, I have come up with "plan"! LOL It's a plan that I must stick to! For myself and for my family :) Look no further (than the next line down - heeeee!) to see my plan ....

2011 PLAN

(it's really pretty simple and straight forward)

I will only be accepting 3 sessions a month.

Once the year is booked up (last year, I was booked for the year by July) then we will book out into 2012 or I can put you on a "waiting list" in case there are any cancellations.

I am not taking on any more weddings (although they are incredibly beautiful and so fun to shoot! they are just too time intensive for me at the moment)

I will also not be doing any large extended families this year (with more than 8-10 people)

I know that 3 sessions a month isn't going to be enough to accommodate everyone who inquires - but it's what I have to do to ensure I have balance in my life - and I know you guys understand :)

With all of that being said, I already have some sessions booked and so (for example) I've only got 2 spots left for April and May and June. I anticipate with taking on such a limited number of session, I will be booked fairly quickly - so it's not too late to be thinking about fall portraits!

I'm excited for what this year will bring and what new friendships will be made! I hope to hear from you soon! You can use the Contact Me section under my Website or just email me a shandy@shandyvogtphotography.com

and since I can't do a post without a photo - how about this one of my little twincesses all messy while eating a donut! They're going to be turning 3 next month! I can't hardly believe it! Thanks for stopping by today and enjoy your week!! :)

CATCH UP!!

2011-03-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

this is going to literally be the.longest.blogpost. in the history of blogposts! Well, not necessarily long in words, but long in PHOTOS!! I haven't updated since the first part of October! YIKES! I did keep (fairly) current over on Facebook... but the poor blog got neglected :( Seeing as how now it's March of 2011 and Spring is knocking on our door, I wanted to share some of my favorite images from each session that never got highlighted! We'll start in chronological order with October and go from there!
2010 went out with a bang and I had so much fun with each of my sessions! I felt so blessed to have such wonderful clients (I know you hear lots of photographers say that, but it's true!) I feel so humbled that after searching around for the perfect photographer to capture your life... you chose ME! Now for the rest of you, enjoy the images that have been patiently waiting for their debut!

RIGBY FAMILY

DEEBLE FAMILY

ROSS FAMILY

COBURN FAMILY

PRESLEY

I also did several Seniors (under my StudioV Brand) but thought I'd share them here as well as part of my "catch up"

KAITLYN

ALYSSA

TAELOR

KALIE

PHEW... That's how I spent my October! Moving on to NOVEMBER!

AMADOR FAMILY

MEGAN & MYA

ALYSSA

MELISSA

AIMEE

And this brings us up to December! We left early in the month for a 3 week Christmas vacation to my family's home so I only had this one (super fun) session at the beginning of the month :)
ATKINS FAMILY

Ward - Goss Wedding

2010-10-09T10:19:00.004-06:00

How did you spend last Friday evening (Oct. 1st)? As for me, I had the pleasure of seeing Doug and Cody unite themselves in marriage -- and what a beautiful affair it was!! So many wonderful words were shared about these two! Seriously, I left with such a bog ol' smile on my face from witnessing 2 people so devoted to each other! We met at the Crane Creek Country Club where we did all of the "formal" portion of the photography and then headed over to Saint Mary's Catholic Church for the ceremony. Then back to Crane Creek it was for the reception! :) A big Thank You to Fabiana Beatriz Photography for being my 2nd shooter for the evening! Enjoy a small glimpse of this gorgeous wedding!!

V Family

2010-10-09T10:12:00.003-06:00

It's award time! What's the Award you ask??? The special "we were VERY well behaved children!" Award!! and it's presented to these adorable kids!! Seriously, some of the most wonderful children to work with!! We tromped through downtown full of fun and smiles! the only thing... we were a tad bit warm! lol... when you have a session scheduled for almost October, you would think the weather would be chillier and "fall" clothes should be worn.... WRONG! I think we were close to 90 degrees on this particular day! Crazy Idaho weather....

Enjoy the preview!

Whitman Family

2010-10-09T10:06:00.003-06:00

Meet the Whitmans (and Eiband's!) Not sure if it's fair to the rest of us when one family is blessed with so much beauty!! When the youngest daughter came into town for a wedding, we knew it was our chance to capture the "whole" family... and capture them we did!! Enjoy a little preview of what we got!

Sivaz Family

2010-09-24T13:07:00.002-06:00

Cousins. What a blessing it is to have family in your life!! Growing up with a dad in the Army, we moved around alot. However, one constant in life was a month long family vacation to..... IDAHO (which is where both my mom and dad were from). I have such fond memories of these times - specifically time spent with my two favorite cousins - Sasha and Amber! I remember walking to the Dairy Queen for a Mr. Misty Freeze (truthfully, I'm not even sure that's the correct name of it! lol) or a peanut parfait (ok, I never went to DQ any other time so I'm not familiar with their menu or names... so these are going off of 15 year old memories!!) or playing Mario Bros in the Sasha's basement while eating "Sugar Cereal". And one memory (which should probably remain untold) was when we secretly (ok, upon more deliberation, I guess that one WILL remain untold for now!) sorry for the teaser... but to make up for it, enjoy this little preview of some of the captures we were able to get when Sasha and her GORGEOUS family came up from Burley for a session the other week.... Enjoy!!

P Family

2010-09-23T13:38:00.003-06:00

I just love it when families come and are relaxed and enjoy themselves! This was the P family entirely! Mom and dad and two ADORABLE little girls (which when Mom pulled out the little tutus for them... I about died! they were even MORE adorable ... if that's even possible! lol) Enjoy a little wholesome family goodness with the following pictures!....

Sorenson Family

2010-09-22T15:17:00.002-06:00

When Stan called me up and told me of his vision for our shoot.... I was thrilled! A Classic car + an old drive in + a family decked out in rockabilly fashion = one happy photographer! What makes me even happier is that this the 2nd time shooting this family (and I always love repeat clients! It's so fun to see how the kids have grown and to catch up!) Thanks Lacey and Stan for hosting all of the sessions down in Twin and for having such a unique and fun vision for our session together!! Enjoy!!

Widmier Family

2010-09-22T15:05:00.003-06:00

I seriously loved every minute of this session with Heidi Widmier of SoHo Photgraphy in Twin Falls and her gorgeous family!! They were so relaxed and fun that I had a hard time narrowing down their gallery to 25 images! Additionally - I LOVED how they were dressed! I think that my new favorite color scheme to photograh is black, white and grey! It's just so classy!! Thanks guys for being awesome and enjoy your new photos!

Twin Falls Mini's

2010-09-22T14:53:00.004-06:00

Going to an unfamiliar city and shooting at an unfamiliar location made can make one a tiny bit nervous! So when we pulled up to the designated meeting spot I was beyond thrilled! Who knew that Twin Falls, ID would have such an incredible shooting area!! I did a couple of mini sessions (and a couple of full sessions which will be showcased shortly!) and everyone wanted an Urban look - which is exactly what we got!! I couldn't have asked for sweeter families or better clients! Thanks everyone!

the Coe Family

2010-09-04T13:03:00.002-06:00

Sand. Water. Cute Family. Perfect Weather. What more could a photographer ask for?!

This family might look a tad bit familiar to you... They are the winners of the 2009 Best Photo Contest Winner that was held over the New Year! I just absolutely love this family (and it has nothing to do with how awesome the mom is at coordinating outfits! lol) By the end of our session, I don't think there was an article of clothing that wasn't soaked and covered with sand! Enjoy your preview guys and the pleasure was all mine!!

Perry Family

2010-09-02T01:16:00.003-06:00

According to the web dictionary, a best friend is defined as "the one friend who is closest to you"

While I have been blessed with oodles of friends... GOOD friends.... even CLOSE friends.... there is definitely one who stands above the rest to have that title of BEST friend. For me, that title belongs to Stephanie! Since we each have 6 kids, we don't necessarily go a lot of places together these days (which BTW she has 4 girls and 2 boys whereas I have 4 boys and 2 girls... we're campaigning that at least 2 of our kids fall in love so we can be in laws together! lol - wouldn't that be a hoot!? Seriously! :) Anyway, even though we may not see each other physically too often, we chat pretty much everyday and she's the first one I turn to when I have something funny, exciting, sad or even normal "mommy woes" to share! I am so thankful for her in my life and it was truly my pleasure to head out to her parent's INCREDIBLE cabin home down in Horseshoe Bend back in June (yes, I know, I'm terribly tardy in posting this!!) and capture her family for her! Enjoy a little glimpse of my very bestest friend in the whole world....

August Catch up!

2010-09-02T00:55:00.007-06:00

Facebook. I actually joined reluctantly but have since found it to be a GREAT tool for keeping in touch with past, present and future clients! In a nutshell, I'd say that the majority of my business comes from friends and friends of friends seeing my work there! The downfall... my blog gets neglected :( I have been totally stressing (and I swear I've grown a few more *real* gray hairs over this matter) but I have been feeling guilty for only blogging 2 of the 15 sessions I did this month (what happened to me only taking on 4 sessions a month? huh.... I guess it shows that I have a hard time saying "NO" but have gotten better at it! lol... also, in my defense, 8 of the 15 sessions were mini ones lasting only 20-30 minutes). Regardless, I haven't kept up showcasing them here on the blog!! So.... even though I still have 3 full sessions and 3 more mini sessions to edit, I wanted to share some of my favorites from what I shot in August!.... Enjoy!
and now that I'm somewhat more caught up.... hopefully it won't be weeks and weeks again before I blog! So if you want to be sure to see the latest previews as they are completed, come sign up for Facebook and "Like" me!! by going HERE!

Sisters are Special

2010-09-02T00:45:00.002-06:00

Sisters. One of life's joys (or at least, I hope they are for most of you!) I am 7 years older than my one and only sister. Growing up, I hate to admit it, but I was not always so fond of my sister. She would sneak into the back of my boyfriends car (my now sweet hubby!) and then pop up when we'd be down the road so she could go on dates with us! And believe me, when you're 16-17, you don't want your 9 year old sister hanging out with your friends telling everyone how much Barney the Dinosaur scares her, etc... Now I'd give anything to be driving down the street with my man, and have my little sister pop up out of the back (although, I'm sure it would give me a heart attack!! and this very thing happened not so long ago when my 8 year old wanted to come on a photoshoot with me and hid in the back of the van... FREAKED me out!!! lol) Anyway, enough about reminiscing and random thoughts - but I wanted to share some photos I took of my wonderful, sweet, talented and beautiful sister when she came out to visit me earlier this year! Love you Kat!!

Adam and Amanda's Wedding

2010-08-16T15:45:00.003-06:00

The colors, the attire, the occasion - it was all perfect! Not to mention, how radiant and happy both the bride and the groom looked! It was my privileged to photograph Adam and Amanda's Wedding held at the Barber Park Event Center here in Boise! Even though it was August, the weather was quite pleasant for their outdoor ceremony and I know everyone enjoyed themselves! I'm just to thrilled that these 2 have found and committed themselves to each other - they are just the cutest!! They are off on their honeymoon right now but I wanted them to be greeted back home with a little preview of their special day!! Enjoy :)

I also wanted to thank Wendy Vonsosen for second shooting with me!

the Tolman Family

2010-08-13T12:05:00.002-06:00

Meet the Toman's. I have known them for a couple of years now and they are seriously such a perfect little family! The kids are so well behaved and cute as can be!! I really enjoyed our time together last week when we were able to meet up for our session! Also, with how comfortable the kids are in front of the camera just makes my job that much earier - it is just amazing! lol... I loved it! Anyway, enjoy the preview from this awesome family session!

Larsen Family

2010-08-03T13:18:00.002-06:00

Growing up there's always that one cousin (typically older than you are) who is the epitome of cool! This was Brittany for me! Back in the 80's she had the big ol' hair, wore the trendy ESPRIT clothes and had it all together (or so it seemed to me!) Now she's a mom to 3 spirited little girls (and still is cute and trendy as ever!). While we were up at our family reunion in Island Park, we took some time and got a session in - and I'm so glad we did! I had a blast getting to know them better and spending a little extra time with them :)

I was also able to get a shot or two of my Aunt and Uncle and all of their kids/families! I told them they've certainly grown a lot since it was just the two of them!!

Enjoy your preview guys and really, it was my pleasure!!

I'm OFF!!

2010-07-25T00:35:00.003-06:00

on VACATION!! Just wanted to let everyone know that I'll be out of touch for the week of July 25-July 30th. I'll reply to any and all inquiries and questions the first week of August! Have fun and enjoy your week!!

T Family

2010-07-22T00:41:00.003-06:00

What a great family session we had the other night!! This particular family came all the way from Texas (is that an honor or what!?) ok, I guess it would have been if I was the reason they came - but alas it was to visit and spend time with their famlies (which totally trumps getting photos taken by me! LOL) But in all seriousness, I had a blast! Dad was awesome in coming up with some unique posing and even though spending an evening taking picures isn't the top thing on a teenaged boys list - these 2 did wonderful at keeping up great attitudes! -- THANKS GUYS!!

Enjoy your preview and have fun vising your families for a tad bit longer!..

Doug & Cody

2010-07-15T03:39:00.001-06:00

Ok, c'mon now... perfect teeth, perfect eyes, perfect hair (need I go on???)
Seriously, take a peek at one of Boise's newest engaged couples (ok, so they might not be the newest engaged couple) but they are the latest ones captured by me! lol and they were full of fun, laughs and oozed (perfect) beauty the whole evening! We'll be seeing more of Doug and Cody, as I get the privileged of shooting their wedding in October!! Can't you already see it now - the (perfect) wedding.... ahhhhhh :) Enjoy your preview guys and thanks again for the fun time!

LJ @ 18 months

2010-07-13T01:12:00.003-06:00

At the end of our session, I stated to Krista that it was probably completely different being on the other side of the camera - to which she agreed! lol. If you're a frequent visitor to the blog (or even had a session with me within the past year) I'm sure you'll quickly recognize my awesome assistant Krista and her boy, LJ. The occassion was LJ's 18 month pictures and just like any other typical 18 month old... he didn't have time to be bothered with photos! He had a whole new world to explore :) His little feet hit the ground running and didn't stop until he was safely buckled back into his carseat an hour later! LOL We just went with his activity and were really able to capture some true lifestyle shots! I loved so may of them that I didn't know how to narrow it down to just a few for the preview - so I just put a bunch of them on! LOL...

I also wanted to publicly thank Krista for all the hard work she does to help ensure we get sweet, natural smiles from all of your little ones!! She really is a great asset to Shandy Vogt Photography - THANK YOU KRISTA!! Enjoy your preview!!

The S Family

2010-07-10T01:28:00.001-06:00

First of all - talk about good kids and a great family! Seriously, everything went smooth as butter! Earlier this year we were in desperate need for a good quality contractor and Aaron came to our rescue!! He did outstanding work and I've been referring him to everyone ever since! He put up 2 new walls (both with french doors) and had it done within a week! He was so clean and courteous and paid a lot of attention to the details! So if you're in the market and need an honest and awesome builder/contractor - Aaron's your guy! Just let me know if you need his number and I'll hook you up! Their oldest boy (ok, their only boy!) is heading off to college next month and they really wanted to get a family shot in before he left - and tonight was the night! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I'm excited to share a little preview with all of you! Enjoy....

so I have to interrupt the pleasing visuals for just a moment at this point - because I have to do another introduction. Meet Cyle... oops, I mean Kyle ;) He's the nephew and was staying with them tonight and tagged along to our session. He stepped up and acted as my assistant - carried my gear and navigated where we should go. He also wanted in the photos (and who could blame him!? We were all having such a fun time that he wanted to join in!) So Kyle - these next 2 are for you (and thanks for helping us out tonight!)

and then finally, I wanted to end on this one. The youngest daughter had some ideas of her own of what we should try - and having all of the girls with their cute little toesies was one of them (we kindly excluded the menfolk on this one!) What a great bunch of tootsies - wouldn't you agree!?!

and there you have it -- another session capturing life as it happens!

one big happy family

2010-07-09T13:14:00.001-06:00

The one thing that kept going through my mind is how one day this could me and my family! What greater joy can a mother experience than to have all of her children and grandchildren all together and surrounding her at the same time! I felt joy. I felt joy for this family and the obvious love and connection that they have with each other! After some time getting the full group shots and cousin shots, etc... I was able to spend a little bit of one-on-one time with each individual family. It was certainly a lot of work (and not to mention the countless headswaps when working with a group this size! lol) but it was also one of my most rewarding sessions! Thanks guys for trusting me to capture this time of your lives and I hope you enjoy your pictures!!

Tuesday Tidbits

2010-07-06T13:51:00.004-06:00

It's a shocker I know! Finally another Tuesday Tidbits from me :) I have to say that when I decided to do a little "fun facts" day here on the blog I thought it would be so easy to keep up with and do just once a week.... however, I was wrong - LOL! I'm not sure exactly when the next one will be - but enjoy this one for now! :)

1. 4th of July. I was excited and anticipating the shots I would be able to get this year. I was feeling confident since the girls were older, they would love looking at the "pretties". We had even practiced clapping and cheering at the fireworks earlier in the day. 10pm came - the camera and tripod were ready. The first mortar went off and with that, so did the girls! lol. They were so scared and cried and cried so I ended up having to take them home....without a single shot :( So I dug this one out from last year - and I hope everyone had a fun and fabulous 4th!

2. My 2nd son has been wanting a drum set for quite some time now. I always had an excuse why he couldn't.... my excuses ran dry - there is now a drum set in our garage.

3. We have really been enjoying our summer over here! The weather has been so pleasant and I have mostly loved not having to get up and get everyone ready for school! lol

4. Earlier this year I got set up to be able to accept credit cards! So now in addition to cash, check or paypal, we can process your credit cards right over the phone :) The feedback I got back from clients, stated this would be a convenience they'd like to see!

5. I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow. I'm excited about it!

6. I have several sessions I need to blog previews for! Stay tuned for some fun images coming your way soon :)

7. Yesterday I had a wonderful day. My awesome man was off of work (for the 4th) and we were able to get some much needed jobs done around the house. On Mondays, we try to have special family time and reconnect with each other. Last night we decided that it would be nice to get dressed up and take the family to the grounds of the LDS Temple. We were the only ones there and everything was perfect! So peaceful, serene and beautiful! Before we left, we thought we'd try to a quick family photo and put the camera on the tripod. I'm so glad that we did because I love this photo of my family! They are my greatest treasures...

Well, I suppose that's a good one to end on :) I hope everyone has a wonderful (and productive!) week!! Until next time...

Fraiser Family

2010-06-28T14:09:00.001-06:00

Last year when this family showed up I KNEW they were meant for downtown! However, my schedule was packed at the time and could only offer them a mini session at the park.... We both chatted about how an urban session would be sooooo fun and sooooo "them"! Last weekend was the time for us to fulfill this -- and when I saw their boys will full fledged Mohawks (last year they both had little faux hawks that were too adorable!) I knew we'd be in for some fun! They also brought along Nana and Grand-dad to get in on the action and I'm so glad they did! They brought a really neat dynamic to the family :) Enjoy your preview guys...

Mather Family

2010-06-21T23:41:00.002-06:00

You know when you're watching TV and an Oil of Olay or Dove Soap commercial comes on and they show women with gorgeous skin using their products? Well, in my opinion, Katie needs to be on one of those! I'm serious! and let me tell you why...When I'm editing, I get real up close and personal with your skin (like think zoomed in up to 300%) and even at that much magnification Katie's skin was flawless!! Lucky, Lucky girl! and what a lucky guy Mike is to be able to wake up to such beauty day in and day out! Speaking of luck.... I feel I'm the lucky one here too - Katie is my little Nathan's preschool teacher and she has been a wonderful influence on him this past year! Thank you Katie for all of your hard work with him (and the others!) this year! We're the lucky ones to have you teach our kids!

my kids at the park

2010-06-21T06:03:00.003-06:00

I think this will be a first - a post with my own kids (well, at least some of them anyway;)
Earlier last week, I was able to meet up with my good friend - Shaina. We were neighbors at one point a few years ago and we hit it off immediately after she moved into the cul de sac. I think it was within the first week that we started walking together in the mornings and it felt like her and I had always been friends! Anyway, we moved about 3 years ago and then not long after, they moved (must have not been the same in the ol' cul de sac without the Vogt's - LOL) just kidding. I'm sure it has been much more peaceful since our exit! Lucky for me, her hubby works here in Boise on occasion and so she and the kids were here last week. So, we decided to meet at a park and chat and let the kids play (and of course take some pictures! - side note: Shaina started learning photography before me and would always try to "talk shop" and talk about f-stops and ISO and metering, etc and I would just stare at her with a blank look on my face and tell her I had NO clue what she was talking about! It sounded like a foreign language to me (and once learning it all later on, I quickly realized that photography DOES indeed have it's "own language"!) but at this meeting, we were definitely able to talk shop and even try some new and fun things. Here are a few of my youngest 3 playing at the park - my twins that are 2 and one of their big brothers who is 3.

and then one of my little guy (on the left) and Shaina's boy. Sadly, these 2 never got to really play together (as I was pregnant with him when they moved in and then moved before he was 1)

Nic and Elaine

2010-06-07T14:45:00.004-06:00

The weather was so unpredictable that I didn't know if we'd be able to keep our (rescheduled) Saturday night session with Nic and Elaine - thankfully it didn't rain and we were able to spend the evening having fun and capturing the love between these two! Nic and Elaine are hoping to build their family through adoption and wanted some updated photos to share on their site. Feel free to check them out as I'm sure they'd love the support as they head down this blessed path :)
They sang songs together in the grass, rode bikes along the road, had a wrestling match and ended with none other than an ice cream fight! Enjoy your preview guys!
Elaine is also a huge BSU fan (Yay!) and so after a bit they decided to show their true colors. I couldn't help but put these next few side by side to give you the full impact. So Nic was just sitting there and Elaine thought it'd be fun to tackle him... as you can see, Nic isn't budging (but you KNOW he's resisting with all his strength all the while keeping a nonchalant look on his face! lol) as you can see from the 3rd image - Nic had her down with one swoop!

and finally, the ice cream duel...
So before our session, Elaine had told me how years ago they had gotten into an ice cream fight where she totally got came out worse than Nic. She was ready for REVENGE soooo.. Operation Ice Cream Revenge was underway. I brought some ice cream bars and at the end our session, I had told Nic and Elaine that I had a little reward since they had done so good and hoped they liked ice cream (Elaine played along so well! lol) Sadly, she made the mistake of saying the words "Let's feed each other the ice cream" - which put Nic on high alert and the fight was on! It only lasted seconds and again... Elaine was not victorious. Maybe next time girl!

and there ya have it... another session capturing life as it happens!

D + C = Baby!

2010-06-04T15:08:00.002-06:00

ok, ok... I know that title is a little on the dorky side - but this is my beautiful sister-in-law, Chita! (on a side note: my little sisters name is Kat and so we always joke with our boys how they have BOTH an Aunt Chita & an Aunt Kat - lol! isn't that a hoot?!) Anyway, so this will be my first nephew on my hubby's side of the family and we are all just so excited for his arrival sometime this month! With all the glorious rain (truthfully I really do love the rain.. but it has certainly been putting a damper on my latest sessions!) so we decided that I'd just head out to their beautiful home and we'd just do her maternity session there. As you'll see in the 3rd picture below, being at home gave dad permission to customize the shoot a bit to HIS liking! Check it out! and guys - I hope you like your little preview!

oh, and PS: I L.O.V.E. this first photo sooooo much!!!!! You are such a glowing and radiant mom-to-be!!

Wedding Bells...

2010-06-01T13:51:00.004-06:00

Andrew and Katie were so relaxed and totally in their element at their McCall wedding over the weekend! Seriously, they just KNEW this was the best course for their new life together as husband and wife and it showed! It was quite the intimate affair with only close friends and family (and just have to send out a big ol' THANKS to everyone for making me and my team feel so welcomed!) Although our plans of having shots taken down on the shore of the lake were dashed by the cold temps, WIND and the RAIN - we more than made up for it by taking advantage of the beautiful Shore Lodge! The night quickly passed with dancing, toasting, kissing, loving and just all around a great time being shared by these wonderful two people and their family! THANK YOU guys so much for inviting me to be a part of this momentous day!! Enjoy!!

Bruce Family

2010-05-27T14:37:00.002-06:00

I really want to show every photo from this session! Seriously! I knew we were in for some fun when I showed up and mom had cookies, bubbles, books and other fun props like a wagon and old wooden chair that we were going to have an amazing time! Another fun fact about this family is they were the winners of my Location Contest that I hosted last summer! As you peek at the photos below, you'll quickly be able to see why they won!!! And if their family was cute enough as is -- they brought grandma and grandpa along as well for some added fun :) I hope you guys like what you see and don't be surprised if I come back to add more for showing off :)

Fabulessly Frugal Team!

2010-05-26T08:25:00.002-06:00

Coupon clipping, freezer meal making, deal alerter and all around FRUGAL guru's were who I got to spend the evening with earlier this week! That's right! I'm talking about the team of FABULESSLY FRUGAL! <-- you know you want to check them out, so go ahead and click on the link (you won't be disappointed!) Better yet, CLICK HERE to "like" them on Facebook and never miss an update! Meet Cathy, Monica, Kearna, Amber and AJ! For reals, they can save you TONS of dough this year (and besides, look at how fun and cute they are!). We roamed the streets of downtown pulling out coupons, laptops, shopping bags and even a shopping cart! C'mon... how else could we have appropirately represented this group? Enjoy your preview guys and to everyone else - Enjoy meeting the FAB team!

Yep, as you can see - there wasn't a dull moment with this bunch! Thank gals for letting me a part of capturing your business! :)

Adam + Amanda

2010-05-18T01:13:00.000-06:00

What an amazing time I had last weekend with this awesome couple! It was so fun and relaxed and I got to hear all about how these two met and fell in love! I'll be shooting their wedding later this summer and since their little boy, Nigel (aka: the adorable black fur baby in the pics) won't be able to attend, we wanted to include him in the engagement session! He was most well behaved and he even brought along grandma and grandpa to watch him when we were focusing on just Adam and Amanda :) Enjoy your preview guys and can't wait until August! It'll be here before we know it! :)

Henke's

2010-05-18T00:39:00.000-06:00

Meet the Henke's! I think what I'm digging about these photos (in addition to cherubic little Andy!) is all of the fun colors! Since I don't typically shoot sessions in the middle of the day, it was fun to work on them with the bold colors and gorgeous sky!

Frary's

2010-05-18T00:02:00.000-06:00

Talk about sweet!!! This litle girl had the sweetest smile that went along with her happy disposition! However, she was a speed demon and was constantly on the go! lol When I got home and saw the photos that were captured, I automatically fell in love with this first one! Enjoy!

Atkins Family

2010-05-17T23:56:00.001-06:00

OK, so this family gets the award for "closest sessions held" (which BTW I am NOT complaining about)! If you frequent my blog at all (which I hope all of you do!) I'm sure you'll remember the Atkins Family that we shot downtown last month. I suppose they couldn't get enough of me and so decided to participate in the Portrait Party :) They are such a sweet and adorable little family and today is Caleb's FIRST birthday!! Happy Birthday big guy! :)

Padaca's

2010-05-17T23:47:00.000-06:00

So this family wasn't quite sure they'd make their session.... the reason: They were in the ER!! Seriously, when they arrived and dad was in a sling I couldn't believe they even came! now THAT'S dedication, right?! lol... and to top it off, he was in a great spirits (could it have had anything to do with the pain meds? heeee!) But really, this family is awesome! I've worked with them quite a bit over the past year - starting off with maternity photos (the day before she went into labor! lol) and then was back a week later for Newborn photos and then again at 6 months and now at a year! It has been awesome to see Keoni grow and develop! :)

and since I had newborn photos of this little guy, I thought it's be FUN to make a little "Then & Now" Storyboard to show how much he's changed! Awwww.. isn't he adorable :)

Paske Family

2010-05-17T23:32:00.000-06:00

This little guy might seem a bit familiar - as I've had the privileged of photographing him 3 times (and he's not even a year old yet!) Am I lucky or what!? This is Jessica and the two guys in her life. Jessica hosted a portrait party (where she received a free session as well as earned free portraits! - if you're interested in learning more about these fun events - just ask! :) and even though Brandon might not have been his "happy" self this day - he was still as cute as can be!

Beath Kids

2010-05-07T23:39:00.004-06:00

I knew this session would be fun and the Beath kids did not disappoint! We didn't have to travel far as this "field" of glorious color is just the empty lot next to their house! We were a little nervous about goat heads at first but I think we made it through the entire evening without encountering a single one! Oh wait, I did get pricked by one, but besides my single incident, we were goat head free! yippee!! The girls brought their beauty and charm to the table and their little brother definitely brought the mischief - but we wouldn't have had it any other way! Enjoy your little preview guys and thanks so much for the fun tonight!

J + T + J

2010-05-01T21:18:00.005-06:00

May = Crazy Weather!! I must have been so worried about today's shoot (regarding the weather) because I had the most restless night sleep with nightmares of missing my shoot with these guys! In fact, in my dream I went to their house at like 9pm and said "ok, the weather has cleared so let's try your shoot out here on the porch with your front lights on!"... Is that crazy or what! I have to tell you, I was soooo relieved when I woke up this morning and realized it was just a dream! We did move our shoot up to earlier in the day when the weather broke for a bit and were able to get some awesome pictures! The first thing I noticed when this beautiful family stepped out of their car was baby J's hair! I L.O.V.E.D. it at first sight! So crazy and curly and out there! And then add his big sparkly brown eyes and he immediately won me over (however, he didn't really like looking at the camera even with me doing all sorts of crazy sounds and yells and being as silly as I could be... oh well... he was happy, sweet and loved exploring the surroundings). Here's a little preview of what we got... ENJOY!

and there ya have it.. another session capturing life as it happens!

Ehresman Family [ Boise ID Photographer ]

2010-04-26T08:06:00.005-06:00

I'm excited to share this next preview with all of you for a couple of reasons:
1) They were so sweet with each other! You could just tell the tight bond they all had (and especially how the youngest daughter just adored her older brother and sister!)
2) L.O.V.E. how they dressed. This is a prime example of coordinating but not being "matchy matchy". Mom picked out a basic color palette of teal, black and white. As you can see, everyone is wearing that combination in some fashion. They look very cohesive which keeps the photo visually balanced and pleasing :) Also, really love how they've all got lots of layers - this add lots of depth and interest to a photo (as well as the coordinating jewelry for mom and daughter!) Great job Michelle!
3) I just think the pictures turned out awesome! lol

Enjoy your preview guys and Thanks again for trusting me with your memories!

Shiner Family [ Boise Idaho Family Photographer ]

2010-04-24T05:53:00.003-06:00

These kids had me cracking up. Seriously! Plus I could have taken the daughter home after she told me I deserved a raise since I was so much fun! Isn't that a hoot!? Of course I had to reply that after chasing her and her adorable little brother around for an hour, I thought a raise sounded like a lovely idea - LOL! Actually, it was quite the pleasure to spend the evening with this family - including grandma and grandpa who had come into town for the baptism of their grandson :) Enjoy your preview guys and hope your day is extra special!!

just in case you thought this family was mild mannered, I thought I'd share some of their real personality! Dad said this is face that he fell in love with many years ago! lol

and yes, we also endured some wrestling/tickling matches! Looks like the kids are victorious on this round...

and there ya have it... another session capturing life as it happens!

Atkins Family

2010-04-19T15:48:00.005-06:00

Saturday. One of the first days that it has truly felt like Spring :) In fact I've had to turn the AC on to keep my house from heating up towards 80 degrees! Anyway, I got the privilege of enjoying the early evening downtown with the Atkins family! Their little guy was such a sweetie and had these beautiful blue eyes (just like his mama!) that would melt you! It was so endearing to watch the three of them together - the love for Caleb just oozed out of mom and dad and you just knew that he was their world! Thanks guys for the fun time and enjoy your preview!!

and there ya have it - another session capturing life as it happens....

Tuesday Tidbits

2010-04-13T13:56:00.007-06:00

Another Tuesday has come around again, and with that another set of Tidbits will be posted :)

1) My girls' 2nd birthday is coming up at the end of this month and we've been trying to think of what type of cake to have Cakes by May make for them. They really like lollipops so possibly at lollipop cake? or maybe a butterfly cake? or since they really like spongebob and Dora - maybe one of each? LOL.. if you have cute suggestions - feel free to pass them on!

2) I'm excited that a new episode of LOST is on tonight! John and I will for sure be watching!

3) Phase 1 of the International Charity Contest ended a few days ago and I am so honored that the two families that I entered raised over $1200 for the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation I hope none of you are ever in need of the services it provides, but if you find yourself in that situation (or know of someone who is) please, PLEASE send them the information to this incredible organization!
I was pretty excited when my two families took the #1 and #2 spots for all of IDAHO! Way to go Bernhardts and Coe's for bringing such needed funds as well as exposure to NILMDTS. The Bernhardts (directly below) will move onto the Finals Round where they'll compete with the winners from each state as well as from 2 provinces in Canada to be named the "International Cutest Family"! Good Luck guys and we know they grow 'em the cutest here in Idaho! :)

4) Cereal.Is.Good. How can something so simple and common as cereal (and really, it can be ANY cereal) be to satisfying!? I just love me some cereal - anytime of the day (or night!)

6) My birthday is on August 26th. Don't know why you'd need to know that (unless you wanted to write it down and send me a card or box of chocolates (or a box of Krispy Kreme's! YUMMM!) on that day - LOL) but thought it was a fun "tidbit" to end on!

Enjoy your Tuesday and I'll be back later this week with a sneak peek from an upcoming Family Urban session!

Twins!! [ Boise, ID Newborn Photographer ]

2010-04-12T13:40:00.005-06:00

Twins. Twice the work? Yes. Twice the mischief? Yes. Twice (as much) getting up in the night? Yes. BUT... remember also: Twice the Smiles. Twice the laughter and Twice the love! I've been anticipating the birth of these little girls since (well, I guess pretty much since their mom announced she was expecting them!). Brent (the daddy) and my dh have been close friends for 15 years now and so we've been able to share in the joy and excitement of these little beauties!
While I was downloading these pictures from our session, I was scrolling through them (and my loving hubs says) "Oh, I'm so jealous of Brent and Karla" and so I looked at him and asked why (thinking he'd say something how their little girls are fresh from heaven or so small and sweet, etc..) but he replied "Because they got YOU as a photographer for their twins!" Gotta say - he definitely scored big points for that one! LOL (and on a side note: I'd have to agree with John in that I'm also a wee bit jealous that I don't have cute newborn pics of my twins like this!)

Enjoy your peek guys and I think Amber and Brooklyn are just the cutest ever!

They were born the day after Easter, so we thought it'd be fun to have them snuggle in with the Easter Bunny!

Now these next 2 shots are specifically for their dad! He is a major BSU fan so thought these would be fun! Who says you can't do fun football theme with little girls?? :)

Congratulations guys!!
ps: remember I've turned the comments section back on so feel free so share how cute these little girlies are!

Tuesday Tidbits!

2010-04-06T14:23:00.005-06:00

So I recently decided that each Tuesday will now be called "Tuesday's Tidbits" over here on the Shandy Vogt Photography blog! I debated and thought of several other "titles" but felt this one fit best and left it open to encompass a whole variety of things! Sooooo, without further explanation, let's get on with the first ever Tuesday's Tidbits!

1. After 13 years of diaper changing... I am now FREE!!! The twins just officially mastered using the potty! (now watch - I probably just jinxed myself and they'll revert :( I would cry. seriously. ) Oh, and just to clarify -- No, the twins are not 13 (I'm sure no one misunderstood, but felt I should state that - LOL), my oldest is and ever since 1996 when he was born, we have been on diaper duty with his subsequent 5 siblings.

2. 3 weeks ago my grandma passed away. I was named after her and one of my girls also has her name (we all have the middle name of Fae). She was a remarkable woman and was very sucessful. My grandpa passed away 30 years ago and she never remarried - she would always say that she had the best and didn't need to get remarried. She went and got her college degree and published a book!

3. While my family was here for the funeral, we did some photoshoots. Below are two of my favorites of my mom and dad! Aren't they the cutest!? I hope I age like them... it's in the genes, right?? They have also been such a wonderful example of marriage and love to me. They can't stand being away from each other (even after 40 years!) and they are still madly in love!
4. My exclusive High School Senior company - StudioV has taken off and is a blast! Just wanted to show one of the images from a night session we recently did! (on a side note: there's just 9 days left until the deadline of when I'm accepting StudioV Senior Models for the 2011 class. Feel free to pass on that info to anyone you think might be interested - there's are tons of perks including free images, cash rewards and an iPod Touch up for grabs!)
5. My favorite season is Fall. I love the change that comes into the air after a hot summer and the excitement from the holidays that will soon be there. I also LOVE the smells of fall! Everything is just so "homey" and comforting, ya know :)

6. I've decided to turn on the "comments" section so I can get feedback and hear your thoughts! So don't be shy - feel free to leave a message (on any of the blog postings!) as I L.O.V.E. to get them! :) who doesn't?

So there are a few tidbits about me - stay tuned for next Tuesday (which I'm already excited about - LOL)

Also, this year I have decided to take just a limited number of sessions each month (roughly 4-5) to ensure that I can still be a mom and wife :) With that being said, April is completely booked and only 1 spot is left in May. So, if you're thinking about a Spring (or even Summer session) now is the time to get it scheduled! Can't wait to hear from you! :)

Carlson Family [ Boise, ID Family photographer ]

2010-03-25T15:24:00.007-06:00

While I absolutely loved the few winter/snow sessions (and hopefully MORE of you will want to take advantage of the refreshing look winter provides next year... hint, hint ;) but I am really looking forward to the change of weather and welcoming Spring (which of course bring more sessions - we've got several scheduled for April :)
So onto this latest session.... What can I say - I just love these guys! And I'm not just saying that because this is my little brother and his family! :)
They live in Nebraska but were able to come up for a little visit last week - which was too much fun! Hope is extremely talented in the creativity department and whipped up the most adorable matching skirts for the girls (which will definitely be a MUST photoshoot for me! lol). Even though it was still a tad bit cold and the kids were tired, we still had a great time and I think I might even have a new all time favorite image -- this first image! Everything about it I love! The way they are holding hands, their body language, the sun setting behind them giving us that incredible flair and the sun shining through Hope's hair is just the icing on the cake!

Now remember how I mentioned that it was cold and the kids were tired? Well, so we put them in the (heated) car with Grandma and Grandpa and did some fun shots with just the two of them - they are both so crazy cute and had all sorts of fun poses they tried!

So there we have it... the kick off to another photography season!

StudioV launched!

2010-02-17T14:39:00.002-07:00

My big announcement -- We have opened a separate studio to cater to High School Seniors here in the Treasure Valley! The name you ask? Appropriately named StudioV (of which the V stands for Vogt). I only put that last part in (since I thought it was quite obvious what the "V" stood for) but a while back when I was deciding on a name for my Senior line of Photography I had the following conversation with my best friend:

Me: Hey I think I've finally come up with a name for my Senior photography line.

BF: Oh, I can't wait to hear it, what is it!?

Me: StudioV

BF: ...... (silent) what is the "V" for?

Me: are you serious? It's for my name - Vogt!

BF: ooooh, I get it!

Then we both had a good giggle over it. So, if any others out there are wondering where I came up with the V - you now have your answer :)

I've got lots of great new (and exciting!) things lined up for StudioV. The first being a Senior Model Search which is underway right now! Be sure to check out the new StudioVseniors.com and the StudioV blog for more info.

Boise Temple - Idaho Photography

2010-02-10T07:40:00.003-07:00

A sanctuary. A place of peace and holiness. A place to find answers and to meditate. A few nights ago after spending some time here, I wanted to get some captures of this beautiful building! These first 2 shots were actually taken after I thought I was done taking pictures. I was on my way back to where I had parked and happened to turn around and see the lamp posts lighting the way up to the entrance - I was in love! Enjoy my shots from the evening....

Sweet Emery { Boise Idaho Newborn Photography }

2010-01-29T00:54:00.004-07:00

Weeeeeee! <-- That was my excited yell from my afternoon shoot with 5 day old little Emery! (on a side note: mom looked WAY too awesome for just delivering earlier this week!) Sometimes I wonder what these precious little ones so fresh from heaven must be thinking when we stuff them into baskets, bowls, trunks and whatever else we think looks fun! LOL but Emery tolerated it all just beautifully and even let us try different hats (and even a little skirt!) throughout our session! I just L.O.V.E. this first picture - so peaceful and content! Enjoy your preview guys and thank you for a wonderful afternoon!

and then this one is just too fun with her little pursed lips! It's almost like she's giving up a little 'tude! Uh Oh guys - you'd better watch out with this one! (you know I'm totally joking! She'll be the perfect caboose for your beautiful family!)

is this skirt (and hat) just not the sweetest thing ever!

this was a trunk they keep toys in (how classy is that for a toy box!?) and when I saw it, out came the toys and in went the babe! :)

Bernhardt Family { Winter Portraits Boise, ID }

2010-01-19T00:02:00.005-07:00

oh.my.goodness. I have found a new love for backdrops - it's called.... WINTER! The Bernhardts had taken advantage of a mini session back in the fall and before our time together was over, they had already scheduled a winter session! With all the kids out of school and dad being off work today we thought today would be the best day - and boy was it! We didn't really know where we were going so we just started heading UP. We figured we'd eventually hit some snow and not too far out of Boise we did! We found little canyons and off beaten roads and took advantage of it all! (isn't our state so incredibly gorgeous!?) They were up for anything (but I'm sure they were thinking I was nuts when at our first place, the first step into the snow resulted in sinking up to my thigh! (note to self: when photographing a winter shoot, the photographer should wear snow pants! duh! hey, at least I had on snow boots - lol) It was definitely a workout to trek up to our spots but oh so worth it! I know this is a super duper B.I.G. preview but I just couldn't help it (and I know they've been waiting patiently all evening for this - so I hope the volume of it makes up for the wait :) So scroll down, enjoy the winter scenes and if you're thinking you'd like some winter family shots (or kids or couples or seniors) - I'm all over it! Enjoy your preview guys and thanks again for such a wonderful afternoon!

Fletchers {McCall Family Photography }

2010-01-16T23:21:00.004-07:00

You know those type of "dream homes" you (well, dream about) that are up in a small town away from the hustle of the city? Close to a lake and mountains and camping spots (or really any recreational activity you prefer)! Well, the Fletchers were gracious enough to open up their dream cabin to me and my (not so little family) this weekend. It was wonderful to (sleep in until 8:26am - thanks Johnny!) and then watch the beautiful snow drift down to earth. My boys bundled up and went "exploring" while we ventured out and captured some glorious winter shots! I wasn't sure how'd I like the snow actually falling - but I LOVE the way it adds an extra dimension to the phtos and I couldn't be happier! Enjoy your preview guys and thanks again for a wonderful getaway!

LJ 1 year { Child - Toddler Photographer Boise Idaho }

2010-01-16T23:14:00.006-07:00

a year already? This little guy has been religiously coming to get his photos every 3 months since he was 6 days old! And here it is, time for his first birthday! (and on a little side note, he took his first 2 steps just a little bit after our session ended! What a way to end it :) I absolutely LOVED his little outfit and the boots and jeans were just too much! Enjoy your preview Krista and give him an extra special birthday squeeze from me!

Brandon - 6 months { Baby Child Photogapher Boise, ID }

2010-01-09T23:23:00.007-07:00

It was an overcast and dreary day today - but I had a 45 min. burst of sunshine when I showed up to capture Brandon (commemorating his ripe age of 6 months!) Alright, on a little side note - I think I'm totally diggin' the whole 6 month age. They can sit up and smile and interact but can't get away yet by crawling and will stay where you put them! Yep, like I said - totally diggin' it. Anyway, we definitely had some fun and do you want to know my favorite part? When Brandon demanded (in a sweet kind of way) that we take a quick break and then he snuggled right into me! Melted my heart! He already knows how to win over the ladies - LOL. Enjoy your preview guys!

Alright, now is this next one not hilarious!? Mom going in for a little kiss and look at that face! You can almost imagine him saying "Awww.. c'mon mom! Enough already!"

Baby Caleb { Newborn Photography Boise, Idaho }

2010-01-09T22:47:00.004-07:00

This was definitely a busy baby delivering Christmas season! The last baby featured here on the blog was born on Christmas Eve and so it's only fitting we showcase another sweet little one debuting Christmas morning!! Meet little Caleb. Sweet, adorable, cute, squishy and very accommodating to me (I mean, come on - how would like me after I stuffed you into a Christmas stocking? LOL). He is just smothered with love by his older brothers and sister (and not to mention mom and dad!). Here are a few I wanted to share with everyone. This first one has some extra special significance with the precious lion. It was his big brothers who is now watching over him from Heaven. Enjoy our Christmas blessing guys!! :)

and the winner is....

2010-01-09T00:53:00.007-07:00

for the BEST OF 2009 with 92 votes (really!) is #21 Stylin Aubree!

For being selected she (along with her family) will receive a FREE session in 2010! I am also sweetening the deal and including a $200 print credit to be used! Way to go Aubree!!

Now, she wasn't the only winner tonight - all 328 of you (holy cow people, that is A LOT of votes!) had an equal chance of winning! So, I headed over to Random.org and used their nifty "True Random Number Generator" inserting the numbers 1 - 328. As you can see from the screen shot I took of the results, vote #272 is the lucky winner!!
Who is #272 you might be asking? It is Gail Franklin!! With her entry, she writes "Your photos are so beautiful. I will keep you in mind for when I have grandbabies." Awww.. thanks Gail (and I'm glad this will be going to someone who likes my work - now tell your kids to get going on some grandbabies this year for you! LOL
Gail is the recipient of a FREE session in 2010 AND (to entice them grandbabies along a little faster) I'll also be including a $200 print credit as well for her! (I'll be emailing you soon Gail :)

Really, you truly are all winners in my book! There were LOTS of votes for so many of them! #9 (Golden Sunset) had a load of votes (42!) and lots seemed to like the blooper of #14 falling into the water (heehhehe! hopefully there won't be a repeat of that event this year!) #'s 14, 15 and 16 were all fairly close (within a few votes of each other).

I also felt it was time for a little updating here on the blog (cough, cough.. new header) and used the 1st and 2nd place images ("stylin Aubree" and "Golden Sunset". For the 3rd image, I used one of my all time personal favorites :)

Well, now that I've stayed up (again) past my bedtime counting votes and announcing winners, I'd better get to bed! Thanks again everyone and here's to an even better 2010!

Let the Voting Begin - Best of 2009!

2009-12-31T13:52:00.016-07:00

What?! It's New Years Eve already?? That seriously can't possibly be, can it? (on a little personal side note: 13 years ago today I wasn't celebrating in the traditional style -- My husband and I were in the labor and delivery unit having our first child! He came just 13 min. before the New Year so we got that tax deduction - LOL -- so Happy Birthday to my oldest son (who is now officially taller than me and I think that's his favorite birthday gift heeeee!)
Alright, so I wanted to do one last she-bang here on the ol' blog to 2009 and thought a little contest where YOU are the judges would be most fun! Aren't you excited now? Below you will find THE BEST OF 2009 (this was so hard and I totally could have put 1 from EACH session (but since I think I'd crash the poor blog uploading 100 images - LOL) I let a group of photographers help narrow it down to these 21.

So here's how it'll work: to vote, simply leave a comment below with the number of your favorite image. The image with the highest votes will win! You may, of course, vote for yourself. Feel free to share the link to this post to all your friends and family! The more votes your image receives, the better your chances of winning!

The client of the winning picture will receive a Free session to use in 2010 and a Free mounted 11×14 wall portrait of the winning image!

To make this even more interesting… after all the comments are in, I’ll do a random number draw on random.org and that comment will also win a Free session to use in 2010 (so be sure to check back after the drawing or leave your email with your comment for me to contact you).

Voting ends at 11:59pm on January 8, 2009. Only one vote per person please.

without further ramblings... I proudly present some of the BEST OF 2009!

ETA: Since not everyone has a blogger account, I have temporarily changed the settings so that ANYONE can leave a comment (so if you post as "anonymous" PLEASE sign your name so we know who you are in case you win!). I will also continue taking votes via email and manually logging in their vote :) Hope this makes things easier for friends and family!

Disclaimer: if you leave a comment as anonymous with no way to identify you (and you are the winner of the random drawing) an alternate winner will be selected. UPDATE: as of Tuesday night (Jan 5ht) at 8:30pm MST no "anonymous" vote will be counted unless a valid name and email address are left with it (if you don't want your email publicly viewable, please just send me your vote at shandyvogt@hotmail.com

#1 Deakin#2 Falling Leaves#3 Getting Mom#4 Love#5 Baby Glance#6 Love downtown#7 Baby Emma#8 Urban Ballerina#9 Golden Sunset#10 Swinging #11 Peaceful Love (I'm seeing a lot of Love-y ones... anyone getting engaged soon? LOL)#12 Vibrant Shelby#13 Expecting#14 SOAKED!#15 Means Family#16 Stern Family#17 Triple Take#18 Colorful Dip#19 Halley on the river#20 First Tennies#21 stylin' Aubree

2009 clients at a glance...

2009-12-30T09:31:00.005-07:00

New beginnings, new friendships, caputred love and lots of laughter is probably how I could best sum up 2009 for me and Shandy Vogt Photography! Can you imagine not being able to wait to "go to work"? I literally get so excited on days that I have sessions and then editing what I've captured. I put my heart into making your memories into art and it is so fulfilling! (and on a side note: I ESPECIALLY L.O.V.E. it when I get to hear your thoughts on how you felt everything went and upon seeing your images for the first time.. hint, hint - LOL)
As I was going back through some of these older sessions, it brought back such wonderful memories of spending time with each of you and so I wanted to put together this little tribute to all of the incredible clients I've had this year! Enjoy and here's to another wonderful year in 2010!

Baby Emma { Newborn Baby Photography Boise, Idaho }

2009-12-29T15:07:00.003-07:00

While all of us were celebrating Christmas Eve with family and friends, this family was celebrating a new life!! This little gem was born on Christmas Eve and I had the honor of capturing her newness today! She was such a little gem and let us drape her in feather boas, headbands (well, pretty much whatever we wanted to do! LOL) Enjoy your Christmas baby guys!!

Beard Family

2009-12-05T23:41:00.002-07:00

I'm excited to share a few of the shots from my session tonight with the Beards :) They'd come up from Twin Falls to take advantage of the cool locations that Boise has to offer but their sweet little baby had other plans (and I don't blame her... it was COLD!) So... we decided to head back to my place and do a few "studio" shots. Now, I use the term "studio" loosely since we all know I'm an on-location photographer, but after Jordan moved bunkbeds and dressers (see, I wasn't lying!) we got a clear wall with decent light and had some fun (and boy did little Avery perform!) Anyway, enjoy your little preview guys and thanks for choosing me as your photographer and traveling up today! :)

Konewko Family { Boise Idaho Urban Photographer }

2009-12-03T01:25:00.006-07:00

Well, even though we're into December I was thrilled that the weather has still been nice enough to do outdoor shoots! Don't get me wrong, it was a bit chilly (but mom was smart and prepared and came with tissues to wipe runny noses and eyes from the cold!). Enjoy your preview guys and thanks for making our session so much fun!

Maverick - Newborn

2009-12-01T19:31:00.004-07:00

oh how fun was it to spend the morning with this squishy little guy (and his family!) He was just a hair under a week old and was so cooperative! I'm excited to work on these some more but for now here's a few I wanted to share - ENJOY!

and here is big brother - he and I were able to have some fun while mom was feeding Maverick :)

Coe Family { Downtown Urban Photography Boise, Idaho }

2009-11-21T04:50:00.003-07:00

I think out of all my clients, Amy has waited the longest for her session and I hope she feels it was worth the wait! I had 2 requests from her at the beginning of our session - (1) Make them look good and (2) URBAN IT UP.... they took care of #1 for me (I mean come on - how much more beautiful can one family get!?) and regarding the second - I've had a blast being more artistically creative during the processing of these! Enjoy your preview guys!

Mackintosh Family

2009-11-20T02:03:00.001-07:00

I'm going to be short on words tonight (as I'm heading up to bed) but wanted to introduce you to the Mackintosh family first! A family full of style, wit and lovely eyes! Thanks for spending part of the afternoon with me - and enjoy a little preview of what we captured!

and would you like to know where little Drostan was while I was spending a few moments with mom and dad? Just hanging out with his lamb and monkey and being snuggled by his blanket! Talk about CUTE! He was such a great baby!

Henze Family

2009-11-17T23:08:00.005-07:00

Man! I have been on a roll lately with ultra fun clients and smooth sailing sessions! (not to mention how nice and mild today's weather was - especially considering we're less than 2 weeks away from December!). Anyway, back to today session - I think we all left with our cheeks hurting from laughing so much! For real - this family was awesome! Before we knew it, our time was done and I'm excited to share a few of my favorites from tonight! Enjoy!

ok.. a little "background" on this photo... we were winding down and dad picked this location AND the pose - at first he was met from grumbles and mocking from the rest of the family, but I have to say that truthfully I think it turned out SUUUUPER CUTE! Way to go dad! (and thanks for helping me out and making my job easier!) lol

LOOOOOoooove this!

and there ya have it... another session capturing life as it happens :)

Christa & Family

2009-11-13T22:41:00.004-07:00

Sometimes sessions just go so smooth and I leave excited (almost to the point of giddy!) about what I know is waiting for me once I get home to my digital darkroom. Tonight's session was one of those! The girls were so fun (and attempted to stump me with Spongebob and Hannah Montanna trivia - LOL) and Christa and Conn were ultra cute (they just recently got engaged! CONGRATS guys!!) You also might notice some additional family members that aren't typically showcased in photos - their beautiful horses! We weren't sure where we'd have our shoot (that would accomodate their horses) but Christa said she had f0und the perfect location for us and boy did she! Sit a spell and enjoy all the fun photos!! (and there are quite a few of them....)

Mourant Family

2009-11-12T13:45:00.005-07:00

Everything about this session went so smooth and wonderful! 2 ultra sweet kids, 1 loving dad plus incredible lighting, and I knew we were in for a win-win session!! We strolled, we played, we explored and here's some of what we left with :)

I just adore this next photo! Do you want to know what I love most? I love how the wind was blowing and Maggie's hair is all tussled and blowing onto her face! Just something about capturing that exact moment, I guess. Regardless, I love it! lol

and then I just love this one too!! You have such a cute, cute family Rod!

and there ya have it, another session of capturing life as it happens! Enjoy!

(and a HUGE thank you to the Crofts for the use of their gorgeous property!)

Farnsworth Family

2009-11-12T01:01:00.002-07:00

we had A LOT of fun with this session (ok, I guess I can't speak for them... so I guess I should say that I had a lot of fun with this session!) With such a young, happy couple and an adorable little guy, how could we not?! Anyway, here were some of my favorites from our time together :) Enjoy your preview guys!

Rhoades Family

2009-11-11T22:14:00.002-07:00

Meet the Rhoades family and their 2 sweet and adorable little girls! They started off a little shy but soon warmed up! Enjoy your little peek guys!

Dennis Family

2009-11-11T15:21:00.002-07:00

How I love capturing love, all the way from young love to mature love, and Bill & Jolynn were no exception! They were surprised with a mini session by their thoughtful daughter (which I thought was ever so sweet!) and you could tell that after all the years they've been blessed to be together, they're still in love and have loads of fun!

their sweet little granddaughter was there and as we finished up our session, I thought this was too cute to pass on!

Padaca Family

2009-11-11T13:12:00.004-07:00

For reals, the Padaca family is just so fun! this is the 3rd session I've done with them and I LOVED seeing how big their little guy has gotten (hmmm.. is that an oxymoron?? oh well, you know what I'm saying) - he's so big now he was even sporting some super cool footwear that I couldn't resist but highlighting! LOL... aren't they just adorable!? Enjoy your peek guys!!

Kirsta

2009-11-11T11:20:00.002-07:00

Some of you may know/recognize the gal in this photo - but for those you don't, I'd like to introduce you to my new assistant, Krista! If you have a session already scheduled with me, chances are she'll be there as well to help keeping those little ones entertained and happy :) I'm really excited to have her as part of the team of Shandy Vogt Photography! Here she is with her little guy - who has been such a pleasure to shoot ever since day 1 (ok, I think he was technically 6 days old for our first shoot). Isn't he a doll!?

Brothers!
and can you beleive the color we still have in November!? Ok, a little confession, it wasn't this vibrant and colorful so I had to really pull out the colors in the processing :) Enjoy!

Morgan Family

2009-11-09T13:55:00.004-07:00

Ahhh, the Morgans! Actually I've been looking forward to shooting them since they scheduled- as I knew it'd be fun! Mom told me (on more than one occasion) that I'd better be prepared because her family would give me a run for my money! She didn't have anything to worry about - all the kids did wonderful and we all had some good laughs too! Enjoy your preview guys :)

Baby Mallory

2009-11-09T13:46:00.002-07:00

oh how sweet and precious little newborns are!! I've just got a little glimpse of little Mallory (isn't that the cutest name!?) to share today :) I'm sure many of you are familiar with the awesome service that Fabulessly Frugal provides (and if not... go check it out now if you want to start saving some moolah!) so when Cathy (one of the founders for FF) contacted me, it was quite an honor!! I LOOOOOVE how much hair she has!! Just look at it! Isn't it the best! :)

Forrester Family

2009-11-07T01:15:00.004-07:00

Who is ready for some delicious pictures? I recently had a client say that she loved the pictures so much that she could "eat them!" -- isn't that the BEST compliment! LOL Well, that's how I feel about these pictures from my time with the Forresters. These guys are getting ready to celebrate their 10 year anniversary and wanted to celebrate in style with some urban goodness! I'd say the last 10 have been very good them and their 4 adorable kids! :)

I absolutely love everything about this first one! Enjoy your sneek peek guys!

Hangin' out with the Rigby's

2009-11-06T11:17:00.003-07:00

You might remember the outdoor shoot at the park from last week - well, here's just a small glimpse at what we got at our indoor portion. How fun is it to go to a clients home and be greeted with smiles and cozy PJ's for the attire!? Well, I'll tell you it's loads of fun! I just watched this awesome family play and interact with each other and tried to savor their family ties :)

I let each of the kids dictate what sort of picture we'd do... this one was obviously to make funny faces! The thing that cracks me up the most is mom and 2 of the boys looking ever so sweet! LOL

after being inside for a bit, we headed out to their gorgeous patio where they have a built in fireplace! They sat around drinking hot chocolate in super cool snowmen glasses (really made me yearn for the holiday season!!)

and then couldn't help but share this one - love it!

Enjoy your peek guys and I'll be in touch once your gallery is complete! :)

Ross Kids Part 2 {Child Photographer Boise, Idaho }

2009-11-05T09:19:00.003-07:00

Just like I said (many moons ago - LOL) I'd be back with part 2 to the sneak peek of these adorable kids! Mom has been so patient but I'm happy to report that I just finished up their gallery - hip hip hooray! Just wanted to pop back in and showcase a few more for all you blog readers :) Enjoy!

Ferrins

2009-11-05T02:34:00.000-07:00

Don't you just hate it when you experience technical difficulties? Well, that's been me with my computers card reader.... how anxious I was to get home and check out the pictures from Sam and Robins session and wouldn't ya know it... no way of getting them off the camera! Oh , you can bet I gave myself a little sneak peek on the LCD screen - but that wasn't really cuttin' it! LOL - Anyway, I finally got it resolved after midnight so this is really going to be a SNEAK PEEK in the true sense of the word!
But before we get to the pictures, just have to say how much F.U.N. I had with Sam and Robin! We've been friends with these guys for quite sometime and when Robin mentioned that it had been 11 years (yes people, that was ELEVEN years) since their last portraits - YIKEEEES! I have to say that I felt quite honored that they chose ME to come out of thier boycot of photos :)
Alright, so I'm off to catch some shut eye but enjoy your preview guys....

Skyler - Senior Pics

2009-10-31T00:01:00.004-06:00

Skyler has kept a busy schedule since before school even started - but we managed to get in his Senior pictures today! I loved how he laughed all the time and he seemed quite comfortable in front of the camera :) As with any guy, to really bring out his charm - we brought along a secret weapon... his girlfriend! (don't worry, you'll meet her very soon :) and with her in tow, keeping things in check, off we went on this adventure we call Senior Pictures! Enjoy your preview guys! :)

this next one is when Skyler is a starving musician trying to make a living with his musical skills... lol

and as promised, here's the lovely Kenzi! She had no intention on being in the photos so this is her pure natural beauty! It was fun hearing all about how and when they met -- you guys are too cute!

Rigby Family

2009-10-30T20:33:00.005-06:00

oh Mother Nature, why couldn't you cooperate with us this morning? The weathermen all said that you would and just provide clouds this morning... but you had to surprise us with your hindering moisture and dark, threatening clouds! Well, I say phooey to you! Despite the cold and rain (thankfully the wind was absent!) we got some awesome pictures of the Rigby family! Truthfully, they could have been in a downpour and still looked beautiful! Seriously! All the kids and mom and dad were just so fun and our spirits weren't dampened one bit!
We started off our session at the park - as they wanted to capture things that their family did together (love it!) so we met and played for a bit. It was our plan then to go back to their house, get snuggled up in some PJ's and capture their family relaxing and being together on the master bed :) However... this time Mother Nature did get the best of us and didn't want to give us any of her glorious light.... SOOoooo... I'm heading back tomorrow to finish up that section of our shoot (which, can I just say how excited I am for those!) Alright, enough of the chit chat... here's some of the Rigby's at the park... enjoy!

and how cute is this!? I LOVE the way their clothes all mesh and blend together beautifully! Not to mention how sweet and cute all the kids are! Look at those sweet little faces :)

we took towels and had to wipe down everything before climbing/playing on it... I see we missed the bottom rail on this next one - just goes to show how wet it all was!

and there ya have it... another session of capturing life as it happens.

Perry Kids

2009-10-26T13:22:00.005-06:00

Oh how I adore these kids! I have been best friends with their mom forever! I have visited her in the hospital after the birth of each new child (well, with the exception of 2 when we lived out of state with the Army) - but I was there in spirit! We talk most everyday and I get to hear stories of each of these kids and wonder how she got so blessed to have 6 incredible ones!
She wanted to get some updated pictures of them so we played downtown for a bit on Saturday and here's a little peek at what we captured! Enjoy!!

Ross Kids Part I

2009-10-25T00:04:00.000-06:00

There will defnitely be a part 2 to this post as I'm dying to share more from this session - but before I headed off to bed I wanted to put up the first couple of pics I worked on tonight! I'm sure mom thought I was wacky (since I switched gears on her as we were driving - and made a detour to this super cool truck!). I just thought it might be fun to let the kids climb on it and pose in front of it to bring in that incredibly awesome green color!! So without further delay... here are some of Boise's cutest kids!!.... enjoy guys :)

stay tuned for some of brother, little sister and more all around goodness reeeeeaaallly soon!

Deeble Family

2009-10-23T10:49:00.009-06:00

so those of you who know me personally know that my husband gives a whole new meaning to BSU FAN! Yes, they are the face painting, cow bell ringing crazy loons in the South End Zone. He got this FANtastic idea of going to the first game of the season as BSU Elvis - the only problem.. I don't sew. So, he put a plea out on FB about swapping out photography for anyone who could sew not one.. but THREE large Elvis costumes (within a week - LOL)... and good ol' Ali Deeble came to the rescue! We were just so beyond thrilled with her masterpieces, I thought I'd show them here first before we get on to their sneak peek... .didn't she do an incredible job!? Thanks Ali!

So last night was my turn to pay back the favor - and I have to say that it was MY PLEASURE! I still can't get over how gorgeous all the fall colors are! They played in the leaves, gave piggyback rides and just enjoyed the awesome weather we had! It's been so calm and mild for the end of October! OH, and I loved their clothing too! (espcially mom's scarf!!). I know they've been anticipating their sneak peek as I told them it'd (most likely) be up last night - and although I had every intention on doing that, within about 5 min. of sitting down to edit I fell asleep! Yes, here at my desk - LOL. I guess all the late nights are catching up to me! So with renewed, FRESH eyes, I'm happy to present a little preview for the Deebles!

ok.. LOVE this one!!

and here is Ty trying to show mom how she should pose to look "more serious" - what a handsome lad!!

and there ya have it - another session capturing life as it happens :)

Sara and family

2009-10-21T14:48:00.004-06:00

Last night was spent with another incredible woman and her adorable kids! I have to admit that I felt like every time I opened my mouth I was trying to say a tongue twister -- the kids names were Kris, Kyle, Kaden andKatie (truthfully, not sure if they are all spelled with a "K" or not) but by the end of the night I had called each boy everything (except their correct name! - LOL). Thankfully they were patient with me and I think that's a common occurance since none of them even blinked when I was calling them opposite names! heeeee! Alright, on to the F.U.N. -- the pictures! hip hip hooray!! Enjoy them guys!

and I just ADORE this one!!!

and there ya have it.. another session of capturing life as it happens!

(and a special Thank You! to the kids dad - Jake, who is serving over in the middle east with the military. We appreciate your service! Hopefully you are able to get a little peek at your handsome guys and beautiful little princess!)

Bernhardt Family

2009-10-21T00:42:00.008-06:00

Finishing up the mini sessions from the day was the Bernhardts! Now typically 20 min. isn't enough time to really do a large family justice but I have to say that all of the kids were such amazing sports and we just zipped right through the park finding the most glorious color!! (and on a side note: this is the very first large family where I didn't have to do 3-4 head swaps! This is actually how it looked in the camera! You guys rock! thanks for making my job easier - LOL -- and just to clarify... I'm totally cool with doing headswaps for all of my wonderful clients! I think I was just more amazed than anything that none were needed - lol :)

hello~ can you say beauty queens!?

now I just had to post these next two! The day of our session was this little girls birthday! Hapy Birthday Lacey!! Thanks for spending a little part of your special day with me! :)

and then the last shot of the night! (and I do mean "night" - it was well after 7 and all of the light was gone, but we had to get these incredible little boot wearing girlies in a row!) Isn't that the best footwear you've seen in a long time!?

and that's all she wrote... however I am just now realizing that this sneak peek is chock full of estrogen! how'd the boys get out of being showcased??? Well, I suppose those pics will be that much more looked forward to in the gallery, right? :) Enjoy your preview guys!

Airds { Couples Engagement Photographer Boise, ID }

2009-10-20T15:36:00.004-06:00

ok.. now how cute are they!? I love how Ben was continually just grinning from ear to ear! You'd think these guys were newlyweds from the way they hung onto each other and interacted -- I LOVED IT! Enjoy your sneak peek guys! :)

a couple of mini sessions

2009-10-20T14:28:00.004-06:00

Wasn't Saturday's weather incredible?! I was lucky enough to have an afternoon full of mini sessions and things couldnt' have gone any smoother! Gorgeous colors, gorgeous light and gorgeous clients!! Here's just a couple from 2 of them... (to the rest of you from Saturday - I promise yours will be up soon!) Enjoy! :)

Dacones Family

2009-10-19T02:43:00.004-06:00

So I had the opportunity to photograph the Dacones family on Saturday. When they pulled up and this gorgeous family stepped out... I was quite giddy! lol.
Ryder wasn't too sure about everything at first so we took a few minutes to just play in the beautiful fall leaves. He gathered and scooted leaves and made a big ol' pile... and then what did he do? I asked him if he could throw the leaves at me and get them in my hair - which of course he excitedly did! These shots were cute on their own but to really get the "feel" of a little boy playing in the leaves, it just shouted for a storyboard! So, of course I obliged to that inner screaming voice :)
Isn't his smile just the best!?

and here is little sis - Olive, who is just as gorgeous as her name!

After we had a good shot of Olive, I coaxed Ryder over to her and asked him to giver her a hug (now me having 6 kids should have known better than this... for we got a little "smothering" of the baby - LOL).... so then we had him just "hold" and not "hug" for the second shot... much better, huh? :) Although, I do have to say that there's something so cute and innocent with Ryder giving her his "hug" -- I just love it!

and this shot just made me feel happy and carefree! We were just walking to our next location and this is what came about - yay! :)

and there you have it... another session of capturing life as it happens!