With all the couples and family portraits I’ve been making this Spring, I got a break in the action and took the opportunity to spend a week with my family up in Anchorage, Alaska.

Their official Anchorage Alaska Family Kids Portrait Photographer was back for more.

It is so much fun being an uncle!

We were celebrating the 1-year-old birthday of my nephew Paul and I wanted to see the look on his face as he bit into his first chocolate birthday cake.

Not having any kids of my own, it’s been such a fun experience for me to watch my younger brother Eric as a father and a caring partner to his wife Brandy. Household laughter sums up the experience every time I visit. He is so good at playing and engaging his children. It doesn’t take much for him and Brandy to get their kiddos to giggle.

There is a lot of love in this Alaska home.

I feel grateful that the flexibility of my work schedule allows me to travel up to see them a couple of times a year. I want to be a part of these kids lives and what better way than to be present and document them.

As a photographer uncle, I want them to be able to look back at their candid selves in pictures years from now and see all the love that was and is all around them.

Photographing my family has become a fun, personal project for me where I get to observe how these little lovable humans process their world and continue developing their different and unique personalities.

It means something to be there on that lazy morning to capture the pure joy in the face of Molly, my niece, as she cruises down the hallway on her scooter with “Jones”, the family Labrador in stride.

Laughing and watching smiling Paul, who is just months away from taking his first steps, currently opting to carry all sorts of items in his mouth and utilizing his new crawling habit.

The kid can move.

For me, the best gifts from these experiences are being present for the little things.

Watching them helps me receive the world in a whole new way. A glimpse into the perspective of all things a new.

Here are some favorite moments from my time with my Alaska tribe. I can’t wait to return. -M

 

During my recent trip to Alaska, I had the pleasure of photographing the Alaska Maternity Portrait Photographic Experience of Jessie and Brendan in Hope, Alaska. Both are dear friends to my brother and his family in Anchorage and over the last five years, I’ve enjoyed getting to know these two wonderful people.

Jessie and Brendan have been married since 2010 and their passion for a full life in Alaska lead them to purchase land outside of Hope, Alaska where they have been building their own home together since 2011.

Now as that passion project comes to a conclusion, a new journey is about to begin for them. In two weeks, these two are expecting the arrival of their first child.

To commemorate this special time, these two reached out to me about making some maternity photographs for them. For our Alaska Maternity Portrait Photographic Experience, we decided to check out their favorite walking trail near their home that looks out over the Turnagain Arm and the Chugach State Park landscape.

Here are some of their favorites from our photo experience. I can not wait to meet the new addition to their family! Congrats you two! -M

 

On the final evening before the annual Spring road closure going up to Hyalite Canyon, I had the pleasure of photographing a stargazing portrait photographic experience for Aysha and Brad this past weekend.

For Aysha, her love of Brad’s spontaneity and ability to make her laugh won her affection over quickly. Both are dedicated to their craft – for her helping run the family plumbing business and for him working as an electrician apprentice – their relationship grew closer through their LDS faith, love of soccer and live music, and being together stargazing with each other in their Montana backyard.

Brad summed up Aysha as nothing short of amazing and kept commenting on how much he cherished how every day, she gives everything her all.

After dating for seven months, they were engaged a few weeks back while next to a campfire.

During our discovery call, we decided to highlight some of their favorite loves they share together and scheduled to meet up at the Hyalite Reservoir for their night time, stargazing photo experience.

With clear skies, plenty of s’mores, cups of hot chocolate, a warm campfire and the arms of each other created a perfect mountain atmosphere to showcase their relationship and made for a fun night.

Here are some of our favorite photographs we made from our evening together.

I’m so excited for these two and the good fortune that lies ahead for them. Congrats to Aysha and Brad! -M

To view all of their photographs from their Hyalite Canyon Stargazing portrait photographic experience, click here.