Kerrigan is a class of 2016 senior at Pendleton Heights High School. We had a great time with her sessions. Kerrigan was part of my model program, so she got to do the train yard and the State Fair with the model team and then we went to Broadripple for her own session, as she was interested in an artsy area. Class of 2017, What are you into? I would love to custom design a session just for you! Contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or give me a call. 317-319-6045. It's your time! Make the most of it!
Olivia was one of my class of 2016 senior models. My models get some great perks like extra sessions and they get featured in my senior Magazine which you can see here! Olivia chose to have her own senior session at Ft. Harrison State Park. She also participated in the model shoots at the abandoned train yard and the Indiana State Fair. If you are looking for a fun and unique session, give me a call 317-319-6045 and we can plan your day just for you! Who are you? What do you want your senior portraits to portray? I'd love to meet you and help design your perfect day of photos! I also have a wonderful hair and makeup artist to complete your look! I have just a few more April Sessions available for the class of 2016, so book soon! I am also booking summer and fall sessions for the class of 2017! This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bailey is graduating from Pendleton Heights High School this spring. She wanted a Fall look to her personal session, so we went out in Oct and got a very gloomy day, but we didn't let that stop us and we got some really great, unique pictures! There are also a few of her Model photos here from our waterfall shoot, and from a shoot she did in Panama City, FL.
I am still taking a few more girls for my 2017 model program and I am now booking Spring sessions for Class of 2016, and Summer/Fall sessions for Class of 2017 so shoot me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or give me a call! 317-319-6045 We will get you all set up!
I am still taking a few more girls for my 2017 model program and I am now booking Spring sessions for Class of 2016, and Summer/Fall sessions for Class of 2017 so shoot me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or give me a call! 317-319-6045 We will get you all set up!
I'm a little behind blogging my newborns as I got super crazy wrapped up in Senior sessions this past Fall. I just loved this little guy's session and his parents were great:) I am looking forward to filling my 2016 Calendar with Newborn sessions! I got some cute new props for Christmas and can't wait to try them out! Give me a call if you are expecting! It's never too early! 317-319-6045 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to schedule your consultation and session :) Now for the good stuff ... Check him out :)
As promised, this week I am going to feature each photography related charity that I actively participate in. The first charity I am featuring is very near and dear to my heart. Inspiration Through Art. Through ITA I am connected with children suffering from a chronic illness. We provide photos free of charge for their families to mark this part of their lives be it, remission, recovery, time for surgery or to preserve their memory for their families when they pass on. Meeting these kids can be gut wrenching, but they are all so amazing, and you walk away with a new connection to some of the strongest kids and families you will ever meet. You can connect with ITA on facebook here .
ITA goes beyond just photographing these kids. If you are not a photographer, you can still participate in this program. The connection with these children doesn't end with their photos. They can be paired with someone who sends them a birthday box and/or other boxes throughout the year if they are hospitalized or homebound. They also give away mini getaways for nominated families. Donations are always welcome to help keep the program running, if you'd like to help in that way.
I will leave you with a couple of photos from my own ITA photo sessions ... First up ... Aleigha. This little girl has been through so much, but she is always so spunky and cute and with God and Pink, she can do anything! A little princess for sure :) You can read Aleigha's story HERE . It goes way back. She's been in remission, but right now, she's battling another kind of cancer so keep her in your prayers!
Next up ... Meet Grace. Grace was adopted by this amazing family, and she had several things going on... Graces' parents contacted me when she was going to be at Riley for surgery for her CHD. They wanted this time in their lives documented. They were so great and fun to meet. You can read more about Grace and her family HERE ...
And then, something I wasn't prepared for ... my own daughter was able to benefit from ITA. I chose to be the photographer who did her photos, but I applied because ITA is great about getting those stories out there, and the more we can learn about the different things children can suffer from, the better. My daughter was diagnosed with CHIARI MALFORMATION and went through decompression surgery about 15 months ago. She is doing great now. You can read her story HERE.
ITA goes beyond just photographing these kids. If you are not a photographer, you can still participate in this program. The connection with these children doesn't end with their photos. They can be paired with someone who sends them a birthday box and/or other boxes throughout the year if they are hospitalized or homebound. They also give away mini getaways for nominated families. Donations are always welcome to help keep the program running, if you'd like to help in that way.
I will leave you with a couple of photos from my own ITA photo sessions ... First up ... Aleigha. This little girl has been through so much, but she is always so spunky and cute and with God and Pink, she can do anything! A little princess for sure :) You can read Aleigha's story HERE . It goes way back. She's been in remission, but right now, she's battling another kind of cancer so keep her in your prayers!
Next up ... Meet Grace. Grace was adopted by this amazing family, and she had several things going on... Graces' parents contacted me when she was going to be at Riley for surgery for her CHD. They wanted this time in their lives documented. They were so great and fun to meet. You can read more about Grace and her family HERE ...
And then, something I wasn't prepared for ... my own daughter was able to benefit from ITA. I chose to be the photographer who did her photos, but I applied because ITA is great about getting those stories out there, and the more we can learn about the different things children can suffer from, the better. My daughter was diagnosed with CHIARI MALFORMATION and went through decompression surgery about 15 months ago. She is doing great now. You can read her story HERE.
I have had the pleasure of working with this family a couple of times. I did Miss Delainey's newborn photos 2 years ago, and they brought her and her newborn baby sis, Ellerie, for photos this time. We did Ellerie's newborn photos and a couple of photos for Delainey's 2 year pictures. They are such adorable little girls. I had a great time with them :)
Meet Aimee. Isn't she beautiful? Aimee was my first session with Magic Hour http://www.magichourfoundation.org/ If you are unfamiliar with them, go check them out now! I'll wait :) ....
It's ironic that I am just ready to blog this session, and it just so happens to be breast cancer awareness month. Or maybe it isn't :)
Aimee showed up to her session a bit nervous, but she totally rocked the session like she was born to do it. I'll show you a few pics from our session, and I will close with Aimee's story in her own words ... I hope that her story leads others to get their mammograms early! I know it's got me thinking ...
Now ... Aimee's story
July 2012 was just like any other month with the exception of having a free mammogram screening. I had thought about having a mammogram since I was about 34-35 years old since my grandmother had breast cancer about 33 years ago, that resulted in a mastectomy and removal of all your lymph nodes on the left side. I felt like the timing was right and really didn’t think any of it. I would receive a letter once the tech looked at the film. Two days later, I received a phone call, not what I had expected. The film came back with irregular shape and it could be nothing but since I did not have a baseline mammogram the technician wouldn’t know what was normal for me. I went in for a 2nd mammogram along with ultrasound. I walked past the light box and glanced at the first film. I noticed a spore (a star like design) looking white spot on the hanging film. I knew instantly that shape didn’t look anything like the smooth spots which were cysts. It sparked new meaning to the following exams. On my drive home, It hit me even before the results came back that it was Breast Cancer. A had a MRI with dye, needle injections with radioactive material to locate the lymph nodes, ya know the WORKS.
What I had was Invasive Ductile Carcinoma. Stage one. It measured 1.5 x 1.9 cm. (it had been growing for the past 5-8 years)
I had a biopsy that is supposed to be practically painless but in my case, I busted into tears because I instantly felt pain in the middle of the procedure. The doctor performing the procedure said it was not a good sign because “cancer cells” reject or repels the numbing agent that is used to gather tissue samples. He tripled the dose to numb me and then asked for a bigger needle. It wasn’t final yet but being told upfront made me tougher. Three days after the biopsy I received a call that changed everything. The nurse did in fact say it was cancer. My response caught her off guard. I said, “Ok, What do I do now?” I really wasn’t afraid or scared because after seeing it first hand on the film, I had time to adapt and process what I was seeing. I felt strong and positive, for the moment. I had to be strong to get myself through this. We scheduled the surgery for October 5th. That gave us time to run the BRAC1 and BRAC2 tests to investigate if I was a gene carrier for breast cancer. I researched my family tree and I leaned I had relatives who had Ovarian and Uterine Cancer. If I carried the gene then that would give the surgeon and myself the option of an elective mastectomy surgery. The weight of those tests weighed heavily on my whole family’s mind, especially my mother. I had started to prepare for the worst, which losing my hair would not be the end of the world but being reconstructed and healing is a longer process. Having long hair I told myself I could go short and do things that would be out of the norm for me. I would try to see the brighter side of things. Being in constant contact with the lab after 6 weeks we finally got the results back and I didn’t carry the gene but we learned that it was estrogen fed type of cancer. The results were good and what the doctors wanted to hear.
I had more doctor visits and I was scheduled for surgery on October 5th 2012. I have never seen so many doctors in my life. I was anxious for it to be over. Surgery went well. There was a drainage tube in my side, which kept me up for a week until I had it removed. I loathed it and it was no picnic. I missed going to my routine Zumba classes but still kept a positive attitude. Next, after surgery, they sent a sample to a lab to make sure there were clear margins. That means when removing the cancer site the pathologist wants to see good tissue on the outside of the cancer site. Mine came back positive so I would need another surgery to gather more cells around where the cancer took root. November 6th - the appointment for the second surgery. I voted then off to outpatient surgery. The waiting game began again. 5 days later, No need for a third surgery. Thank goodness.
A couple weeks later, I went in for a follow up, and it was good news. I could finally heal. However, I still had Radiation treatments to go through. The party wasn’t over yet. I did try Zumba a couple of times in December, while fun and missed it; Not a good idea. ;)
During my journey, I blogged about my ups and downs on FB . I was an advocate for early detection.
The 4th week of radiation I found out that I had melanoma on my nose and cheek. Therefore, my face was a blistering mess and my chest felt like it had been lit up with gasoline. Great.
Into the top of the 6th week, radiation was a little tougher. I woke up one morning with my skin on fire and the tears just flowed. I just couldn’t make the drive one more day. I still had 6 more visits or so but the burning sensation was just too much. That Wednesday was the only day where I truly had pity for myself. I felt that I had let my guard down. It affected my head. Nevertheless, I had church groups and an army of prayer warriors on my side and I vowed to get myself together and get through this. It’s known that having a peppy attitude and positive outlook makes for a quicker recovery. I was going to prove this to myself. The last 5.5 months was a long journey. I didn’t want to stop now. I finished my radiation and I really couldn’t wait to just rest from all the driving. I started to feel tired, not motivated or determined to get anything done. I knew from other patients that this was the battle. I tried to follow their advice and just laid around and didn’t care. I’m a busy body and I don’t like to be kept still. Well, I rested. Then my old Zumba gal pal picked me up for class one day in March. It was great to be back but I was not feeling it. It’s mid-march and I knew if I didn’t get moving, I wouldn’t get “Me” back. So after a few weeks of just going to one class I bumped it up to 2-3. I had this renewed energy to get in shape. I was exhausted. I went to the hard class…Boot Camp. Two months into classes and I felt like I was getting stronger. I participated in the Komen cure race that my Zumba team built in my honor, and in August, I participated in the Warrior Dash. There was one wall that I couldn’t climb due to my arm weakness but I finished the race. I accomplished many feats and felt like I had a great come back. I walked with my daughter in the color run and I have not stopped Zumba-ing.
I just had my check up and I am in remission up to date. Awesome news. I am on frequent visits with an oncologist, and we are still trying to work out the kinks with medication that agrees with me to cut down the producing of estrogen so I don’t have it come back. I’m looking forward to each new day with a new outlook on life. I am a woman with a mission, and it’s not sitting on the sidelines watching life pass me by.
There are many support groups out there and you have to find the one that fits your needs. I joined Indy SurviverOars- paddle team. It is a dedicated group of breast cancer survivors and supporters that race and practice in a dragon boat on Geist Reservoir. All these women know what you are going through and of all ages and stages of fight.
My doctor told me I could wait until I was 40 to have my first mammogram. At age 35, I should have one a mammogram done or the option to have one but it wasn’t a factor. Now, I urge all my girlfriends and strangers to have a test performed at a young age so when you do reach an mature age the doctors will know what a healthy breast looks like compared to any irregularities they might see in the new film. It’s never too late.
It's ironic that I am just ready to blog this session, and it just so happens to be breast cancer awareness month. Or maybe it isn't :)
Aimee showed up to her session a bit nervous, but she totally rocked the session like she was born to do it. I'll show you a few pics from our session, and I will close with Aimee's story in her own words ... I hope that her story leads others to get their mammograms early! I know it's got me thinking ...
Now ... Aimee's story
July 2012 was just like any other month with the exception of having a free mammogram screening. I had thought about having a mammogram since I was about 34-35 years old since my grandmother had breast cancer about 33 years ago, that resulted in a mastectomy and removal of all your lymph nodes on the left side. I felt like the timing was right and really didn’t think any of it. I would receive a letter once the tech looked at the film. Two days later, I received a phone call, not what I had expected. The film came back with irregular shape and it could be nothing but since I did not have a baseline mammogram the technician wouldn’t know what was normal for me. I went in for a 2nd mammogram along with ultrasound. I walked past the light box and glanced at the first film. I noticed a spore (a star like design) looking white spot on the hanging film. I knew instantly that shape didn’t look anything like the smooth spots which were cysts. It sparked new meaning to the following exams. On my drive home, It hit me even before the results came back that it was Breast Cancer. A had a MRI with dye, needle injections with radioactive material to locate the lymph nodes, ya know the WORKS.
What I had was Invasive Ductile Carcinoma. Stage one. It measured 1.5 x 1.9 cm. (it had been growing for the past 5-8 years)
I had a biopsy that is supposed to be practically painless but in my case, I busted into tears because I instantly felt pain in the middle of the procedure. The doctor performing the procedure said it was not a good sign because “cancer cells” reject or repels the numbing agent that is used to gather tissue samples. He tripled the dose to numb me and then asked for a bigger needle. It wasn’t final yet but being told upfront made me tougher. Three days after the biopsy I received a call that changed everything. The nurse did in fact say it was cancer. My response caught her off guard. I said, “Ok, What do I do now?” I really wasn’t afraid or scared because after seeing it first hand on the film, I had time to adapt and process what I was seeing. I felt strong and positive, for the moment. I had to be strong to get myself through this. We scheduled the surgery for October 5th. That gave us time to run the BRAC1 and BRAC2 tests to investigate if I was a gene carrier for breast cancer. I researched my family tree and I leaned I had relatives who had Ovarian and Uterine Cancer. If I carried the gene then that would give the surgeon and myself the option of an elective mastectomy surgery. The weight of those tests weighed heavily on my whole family’s mind, especially my mother. I had started to prepare for the worst, which losing my hair would not be the end of the world but being reconstructed and healing is a longer process. Having long hair I told myself I could go short and do things that would be out of the norm for me. I would try to see the brighter side of things. Being in constant contact with the lab after 6 weeks we finally got the results back and I didn’t carry the gene but we learned that it was estrogen fed type of cancer. The results were good and what the doctors wanted to hear.
I had more doctor visits and I was scheduled for surgery on October 5th 2012. I have never seen so many doctors in my life. I was anxious for it to be over. Surgery went well. There was a drainage tube in my side, which kept me up for a week until I had it removed. I loathed it and it was no picnic. I missed going to my routine Zumba classes but still kept a positive attitude. Next, after surgery, they sent a sample to a lab to make sure there were clear margins. That means when removing the cancer site the pathologist wants to see good tissue on the outside of the cancer site. Mine came back positive so I would need another surgery to gather more cells around where the cancer took root. November 6th - the appointment for the second surgery. I voted then off to outpatient surgery. The waiting game began again. 5 days later, No need for a third surgery. Thank goodness.
A couple weeks later, I went in for a follow up, and it was good news. I could finally heal. However, I still had Radiation treatments to go through. The party wasn’t over yet. I did try Zumba a couple of times in December, while fun and missed it; Not a good idea. ;)
During my journey, I blogged about my ups and downs on FB . I was an advocate for early detection.
The 4th week of radiation I found out that I had melanoma on my nose and cheek. Therefore, my face was a blistering mess and my chest felt like it had been lit up with gasoline. Great.
Into the top of the 6th week, radiation was a little tougher. I woke up one morning with my skin on fire and the tears just flowed. I just couldn’t make the drive one more day. I still had 6 more visits or so but the burning sensation was just too much. That Wednesday was the only day where I truly had pity for myself. I felt that I had let my guard down. It affected my head. Nevertheless, I had church groups and an army of prayer warriors on my side and I vowed to get myself together and get through this. It’s known that having a peppy attitude and positive outlook makes for a quicker recovery. I was going to prove this to myself. The last 5.5 months was a long journey. I didn’t want to stop now. I finished my radiation and I really couldn’t wait to just rest from all the driving. I started to feel tired, not motivated or determined to get anything done. I knew from other patients that this was the battle. I tried to follow their advice and just laid around and didn’t care. I’m a busy body and I don’t like to be kept still. Well, I rested. Then my old Zumba gal pal picked me up for class one day in March. It was great to be back but I was not feeling it. It’s mid-march and I knew if I didn’t get moving, I wouldn’t get “Me” back. So after a few weeks of just going to one class I bumped it up to 2-3. I had this renewed energy to get in shape. I was exhausted. I went to the hard class…Boot Camp. Two months into classes and I felt like I was getting stronger. I participated in the Komen cure race that my Zumba team built in my honor, and in August, I participated in the Warrior Dash. There was one wall that I couldn’t climb due to my arm weakness but I finished the race. I accomplished many feats and felt like I had a great come back. I walked with my daughter in the color run and I have not stopped Zumba-ing.
I just had my check up and I am in remission up to date. Awesome news. I am on frequent visits with an oncologist, and we are still trying to work out the kinks with medication that agrees with me to cut down the producing of estrogen so I don’t have it come back. I’m looking forward to each new day with a new outlook on life. I am a woman with a mission, and it’s not sitting on the sidelines watching life pass me by.
There are many support groups out there and you have to find the one that fits your needs. I joined Indy SurviverOars- paddle team. It is a dedicated group of breast cancer survivors and supporters that race and practice in a dragon boat on Geist Reservoir. All these women know what you are going through and of all ages and stages of fight.
My doctor told me I could wait until I was 40 to have my first mammogram. At age 35, I should have one a mammogram done or the option to have one but it wasn’t a factor. Now, I urge all my girlfriends and strangers to have a test performed at a young age so when you do reach an mature age the doctors will know what a healthy breast looks like compared to any irregularities they might see in the new film. It’s never too late.
A Greenfield Central Senior on the canal. Had a great time with Megan for her photos in Downtown Indianapolis! Here are a few faves from her session :)
The blog is going to go crazy today. I have so much to catch up on! This was back in May before the 8th Grade formal dance at Greenfield Central Jr. High. I held mini sessions before hand. A lot of these girls are athletes and they wanted to showcase that. I love what we ended up with! This will totally be an overshare, but I had to show all of these! :)
