Scott + Melanie | Bright & Cheerful | Desert Engagement Session

To love or have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life. ~ Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

These two just announced that they are havin’ their first little one in Janaury! What a treasure these two were to work with in the last couple years. Summer shooting has taken a pause the last couple months but their sunrise engagement pictures get me eager to open back up. I never got around to sharing their session so here are a few golden highlights. :)

I have never laughed so hard during an engagement session

Jonathan + Krystal were one of our spring weddings that got detoured by the Covid19. As they have had to make some incredibly hard choices their grace and value in the things that are most important have been loud and real. As they have maneuvered the change of plans, these images from their engagement session have seemed to take on more profound value. I am often surprised by how sweet and special engagement pictures become AFTER the wedding. They can quickly be a side thought or some special non-essential icing to the wedding process—but the civilian-clad, real-world, this-is-how-i-look-without-a-white-dress-and-laughing-hard images are the stuff of Gold. I truly don’t think i’ve laughed as much as i did with these two during an engagement session. The sun rose with fierce golden flare only rivaled by their intrinisc eagerness to be real and authentic.

They say as much in their review and it’s sessions like these that remind me that relationship and being real both in front and behind the camera are essential to survival. We love you guys and support you during these crazy times. I hope these images are fierce, potent trreasures for years to come

Session feedback from the bride & groom:

• Q. What was the the 'look' or 'vibe' that you wanted to nail with your engagement session?

  A. Romantic and fun!

• Q. What were you most nervous about leading up to the shoot? What do you care about the most?

  A. We weren't all too nervous about the shoot itself - maybe intrigued at how our perceived awkward selves would look on camera - but Krystal was worried she wouldn't wake up on time since it was a sunrise shoot. We cared most about the three of us connecting - having a good time, getting good direction, and also getting a variety of shots. Also, lighting!

• Q. What were your favorite moments during your shoot? Things that made you laugh or were just plain memorable?

  A. Honestly, we think everything made us laugh. We are gigantic goofs. If we had to highlight some moments though, we'd say: the moment you asked us to make a really ugly face at the same time = GOLD. We also felt you were 100% yourself, genuinely enjoyed what you were doing, and genuinely wanted to capture us well.

• Q. What was most memorable about your session with LKM?

  A. Grabbing breakfast together at Prep & Pastry and getting to know one another better.

• Q. If you have seen pictures, what do you think? Which are your top favorites?!

  A. BEAUTIFUL. The way you captured the light, highlighted the beauty of where we were, the way you captured our silliness. Krystal's favorites: the close-up of us walking hand in hand with the sunbeam coming through on the right hand side of the shot, Jon's solo shot where he's laughing with a crinkled nose. Jon's favorites: all the candid shots, especially where Krystal is bursting in laugher!

• Q. If you were to share your experience with another couple interested in hiring LKM, what would you say?

  A. Come with a sense of humor and flexibility! No doubt LKM could have directed us step-by-step, but her Goldilocks approach allowed us to be playful with our shoot and feel free to improvise.

• Q. How could we have made your experience even better?!

  A. We loved everything about the shoot itself, we truly had a blast. The gallery perusing experience was wonderful and user-friendly. Thank you so much for this gift!

Real words from the real couple:

WE IMPLORE YOU to book Laura K. Moore for all your love-capturing needs! She encouraged our goofiness, took time to get to know us after our session, and has supported us in this time of unprecedented uncertainty. Not to mention she’s just a wildly talented photographer :) Thank you, Laura, for making us feel cute and beautifully telling our story!

What a joy you guys were to shoot and capture and get to know! I look forward to your future and the many memories and chapters that are ready for you to unfold! Blessings friends! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this precious season (though hiccupy) of your lives :D // Laura

The final dance before the chapter turn | A Personal Post

I write this while sitting in the parking lot of a closed-due-to-Covid19 Starbucks slurping their wifi and enjoying the alone space. I’ve got tears all sparkly in my eyes. These are unprecedented times with an enormous amount of fear and unknowns circulating. A gift that I’ve experienced in all of it as has been the space provided for our family. Homeschooling started yesterday and we are clumsily working through a new normal we haven’t quite figured out. It’s a strange tension of space to be still and hunker into contentment no-matter how twitch-worthy or lonely. It’s also provided the space to reflect and take inventory of treasures…

This session is valuable because the images are both cathartic and an anchor. Also, they are precious memory markers for our time with Leah—our sweet friend who came to live with us 3.5 years ago. We’ve gone through hell and high-water together in those years and loving her and growing as adults, humans, women, friends—it can be quite breathtaking to count the ways life was shared when you live with someone. It can also be scary to transition when it is time. Leah transitioned so well this February. This portrait session was an intentional gift from her—a last hurrah and timeless nod to a chapter in both of our lives. This was the final dance before the chapter turn when she moved out.

Also note — this whole session experience was a gift from Leah. She flew her sister in law, the phenomenal Rae Barber Fine Art Photo & Film, in from Denver and treated us to pictures in the desert and dinner afterwards. How lavish the love a friend is when they LEAN IN even when it is hard and unknown. We love you Leah! // Laura & the Mob of Moores

Thank you for these treasures miss Rae Barber — what a gift this session was, is and forever will be. We love them so much! // Moore Family

Night Out on the Town | Tucson Engagement Session

It was a frigid Wednesday night and Louie & AnaLia came decked out to the nines and eager to make some sweet honey sauce happen on the streets of Downtown Tucson. They wanted drama, they wanted sexy, they wanted bling and they wanted sass. Del Bac might as well just send us our paycheck (no those posters weren’t planned or photoshopped. just rediculously well timed and placed :D) Here are our highlights…

 What was the the 'look' or 'vibe' that you wanted to nail with your engagement session?

We wanted to nail a night out on the town feel. We were most nervous about the weather and our outfits. Favorite moments were laughing together when we were nervous or when Laura would make us laugh with her contagious laugh :) She makes you feel so special, literally you are the center of attention. (As far as the pictures go) we love them all! Our top favorites are the ones of us sitting down eating ice cream together , walking across the street together and our absolute favorite is of us standing together where Louie is grabbing his jacket and I am looking the opposite way

If you were to share your experience with another couple interested in hiring LKM, what would you say?

I would say she is the best in Tucson! She makes you feel so comfortable and is the sweetest person to work with, which is so important for such big moments of your life.

Louie & Analia, you guys really are so thoughtful. I can’t imagine they chaos of having to reschedule your wedding 3 weeks out but you have been delightfully gracious and aware of all the needs :) you guys are wonderful and look forward to September! // LKM

WARDROBE NOTES:

Make-Up & Hair: @chanelmolleobeauty // His Jacket: @soho_miami // Her Gown: @fashionnova

JIANA | Senior | Tucson, AZ

This senior session was a treat. Jiana is a the daughter of a precious friend of mine at the school I work at. The bond between mother and daughter is so sweet; so strong. Note the image at the bottom as mom is fixing’ a few fly aways and fitting the robe on—SO MANY FEELS. :) Shout out to Cartel on Broadway (Downtown, Tucson) for letting us use their yummy light and coffee lobby and drink their deliciousness. You rock :) // Here are highlights from Jiana’s senior portrait session!

Oh Jiana…may your senior radiate as bright and brilliant as your smile and your joy. I LOVED laughing with you the whole way through this special portrait session! Enjoy senior year baby! // Laura

ALLLLSO — if you’d like to see the little highlight real from our session, check this out! Props to DesotoMedia



Andrew + Shayla | Tucson Engagement Session

They fell in love in starbucks... i sat for hours almost every day working while they met and loved and fell more and more for each other. my husband was his boss. she made my espresso and the distance between patron and server decreased. i would hear of their integrity. their passion. their frugal discipline and good questions. they bought a house. they are prepping for a wedding. he encourages lawson even after he is no longer boss... when 2 humans get in front of your lens and the invested sense of "wow, they are such a gift. to each other. to me. to my husband. to the world." - // Andrew + Shayla are getting married in Tucson in August and their sweet little engagement session in Tucson barrio’s flower garden was a little ray of golden sunshine. Here are a few highlights.

Honey Bee State Park | Lace & Saguaros | Tucson Engagement Session

Sometimes sunlight just says, “yo—i get you. i got you. here let me lay down this syrupy honey goodness while you shoot.” Plus Casey & Katlyn were great at simply loving eachother…okay actually CASEY gave me a run for my money and insisted I NOT give him cheesy directions or do funny stuff. I looked at him and said, “dude….just love her. and if THAT feels weird laugh and it will LOOK affectionate whether you like it or not.” It was a quick mini session and we lingered for a little traipsing around in our completely inappropriately clad feet for desert treading.

But this photo location is actually called Honey Bee State Park and considering how delightfully golden the sunsets are as they dip over the little mini valley — i say it is adequately named.

Desert Engagement Session | Palo Verde Trees + Prickly Pears w/ a Splash of Wine

Krista & Spencer flew in from San Francisco for the weekend to get their Tucson desert fix, visit their wedding venue at La Mariposa Resort and grab a few lovely sunbeam embraces during their engagement session in northeast Tucson. We had a few wardrobe changes and Sulamita Pacifica, a local event stylist, offered to contribute a few elements and the couple agreed. Enjoy the picnic in the desert. And to see Spencer + Krista's wedding highlights, go HERE!

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Tim + Jenna | Deserty Lovin' and a Fiesty Dancer | Tanque Verde Guest Ranch Engagement Session

Tim & Jenna were from Tucson but lived in Phoenix and were getting married in Cancun. They had seen some of our wedding pictures styled by Margarita Potts via her instagram feed with her team at I Do Hair & Makeup Artistry and reached out for prices and a quote for the whole shibang: storytelling in Tucson and following them to Cancun.....we coulnd't say "yes please" fast enough. :) 

Jenna cared most about being natural, clean light, real emotion and bright colors. She liked light and liked wine and she knew how to strut some heals like a gazelle across the jagged rocks of the Sonoran desert (hats off lady). Tim...well, he was skeptical. An email following the session read, "Tim just told me...wow! that was actually kind of fun and way better than i expected." (*laughing*... #nailed it. I'll go for "kinda fun" from any tough cookie who'd rather be chill than posed or passed off as a schmuck. I get you sir. I don't want you lookin' schmuckly either.) 

So they drove to Tucson, grabbed a room at Tanque Verde Guest Ranch and I met them there to talk wedding details, frolick about in the desert, drink some wine, navigate a few sweetheart moments, get them comfortable with my style -- expressing their affection-- (not difficult) and got to know each other. Here are a few highlights! :)

(P.S. we are sharing highlights from their destination wedding in Cancun tomorrow on the blog! Stop back by!)