Part 2 - In October, I celebrated two years as the photographer for The Rim Country Living Magazine. As November, a month of gratitude, unfolds, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the incredible families and non-profit organizations I've had the joy of photographing for the magazine. I am grateful for the connections and moments we've captured together.
In this blog and the one following, I will be sharing some images from these amazing families and organizations, along with fun stories from the photo sessions.
John and Lorian Roethlein
John and Lorian Roethlein moved to Payson 19 years ago and run their engineer recruiting business from their beautiful home. You might be familiar with them from the Payson Farmers Market, where they have been the driving force behind it since 2009.
Exploring the farmers market for fresh produce and homemade goods is a favorite of mine! The Roethlein session was scheduled for March for the May magazine issue and the commencement of the farmers market season. Typically, spring has already blossomed in Payson, but this year was an exception. A few days before their session, unexpected snowfall occurred. The envisioned spring-themed cover wasn't feasible in the snowy weather. Consequently, we shifted the session to their gorgeous home, offering stunning views of the Rim.
What a lovely couple to work with. I loved learning all about John's Arizona Mushroom Company. They grow seven varieties of fresh gourmet and medicinal mushrooms at their home.
The Meyer Family
Dave and Miranda Meyer own and manage the Lone Pine Hotel on Main Street. The historic hotel has been in the family since 1956, when Miranda's great grandfather purchased it. Miranda also works for the Rim Country Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Dave is a sales executive. Their sweet daughter, Bella, is very active in school. She is into sports, art and music.
The session took place at their hotel on a beautiful afternoon. We incorporated the family dogs, Boomer, a Mastiff mix, and Judy, a French Bulldog, into the images.
I love doing session with the family pets!
I was captivated by the hotel's rich history and relished strolling through the property. The presence of antiques around the property gives it a nostalgic ambiance, transporting you back to a bygone era.
The Baxter's
I got to travel up to Pine for my session with Ray and Carol Baxter. What a truly delightful couple!
We met at the Pine Trailhead and did a few images there, then I followed them to their lovely home and took a few more.
Ray, a retired banker and a music historian, proudly showed me his collection of albums, 45's, and digital music collection. I was absolutely amazed. He had just about any song you could imagine. He asked me to name a song I loved, I instantly thought of Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones. Before I knew it, he had it playing over the stereo for me.
Carol, a writer, is a long time resident of Payson. She's had several careers throughout the years; currently she helps people write memoirs to give to loved ones. She also write grants for local non-profits, has written many newsletters and is the media manager for the Payson Authors and Artist Festival.
The Lowery Family
Bobby and Fayth Lowery, the proprietors of Lowery's Glass in Payson, are truly remarkable individuals. With a family of five children, three of whom are adults and two still at home, their household is filled with warmth and faith. They also consider their team of employees their extended family.
This family keeps a busy schedule! I always strive to accommodate the families I photograph, and this one was no exception. The session scheduled for the August issue took place at the end of May, just as the kids were wrapping up final exams and the family was gearing up for a month-long trip to Rocky Point, Mexico. An 8:00 am quick session, before the kids headed off to school, was the only window of time to complete the session, managing a few quick photos at their home and another brief session at their workplace to showcase the fantastic team of employees working for them. I wish I had more time to get to know the family better.
Pat and Nicole Reynolds
It was a true honor when Tina approached me and expressed interest in featuring my family in the magazine. Instantly, I began envisioning how I wanted to orchestrate our own session.
My main focus was to highlight our horses, Toby and Cinnamon, as well as our dog and cats because, alongside our kids, our furry companions play a significant role in our lives.
Now, you might wonder, how did I manage to capture us on Toby and Cinnamon, getting them to look at the camera? Enter the "ghost photographer" concept (akin to a ghostwriter). With the assistance of my daughter Katie and her husband Nick, we executed the plan. Katie handled the camera, Nick enticed the horses with treats, and voilà, the perfect image was captured!
When we did our family images, I set up the camera, posed everyone and, placed myself in the group and then took the image with my remote shutter.
The only thing missing was the rest of the family. Andrew and his family presently reside in England, where he is stationed with the United States Air Force, and Pat's daughter Bridgette was occupied with work.
In summary, capturing these images was a fantastic experience. It was truly special to have photographs of our entire family, including shots of Pat and me with the horses—something we hadn't done before.
The Morris Family
In my extensive years of portrait photography, I've encountered numerous remarkable families, and the Morris family stands out as an exceptional example of warmth and togetherness. Each one of their kids was polite and cooperated for every image I took. Smiles were all around.
Ashley is a go-getter, tirelessly managing not just her kids but actively contributing to town events and operating a delightful cottage food bakery, Simply Made by Ashley Morris, from their home. I can personally vouch for the deliciousness of her baked treats, as she kindly brought us some homemade cupcakes to the session.
Matt works for a local gas company, and his family has roots here in Payson dating back to the 1950's.
Our session took place in Whispering Pines along the East Verde River—a location the Morris family had not explored before. They were enamored with the picturesque setting, providing a lovely backdrop that complemented the essence of their wonderful family.
Their youngest, Elijah, with his abundance of energy kept us all laughing. Ashley was on mark when she described her kids personalities to me before the session, and knowing that information made it easier for me to create images that brought out the individual personalities.
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