Luke + Juliette | Corn Fields, Rock Quarrys + Shire-Like Hillsides | Engagement Session

I get another sister folks. Lets start with that. and this is her. and my brother. on their engagement session last weekend in the foothills of Mt. Baldy, Southern California. My brother is a prodigy of an artist. It's kinda rediculous. The things that he makes out of nothing (beat). They were highschool sweethearts and part of Luke's proposal included a series of paintings that told their love story as missionary kids in the Philippines, love birds and college students and now soon to be weds this summer. This is a snippet of some of their affection... 

The crazy. busy. wonderful. | personal update

We're gonna be a little real this morning. Life is a little bit crazy. I have a few hats that I am responsible for that i feel like i'm holding onto with my dear sweet life while a hard wind is trying to blow it off and make a mess of things. I don't know. Maybe that analogy doesn't work and i'm just being dramatic. Lets just go with...i'm trying to figure things out. 

I'm in my busy portrait season right now. I have more portrait sessions this month that i have had all year combined. That sweet little LKM flash sale a few weeks ago was exactly what i wanted it to be--an incentive to book early so i could shoot early and have a holiday season (theoretically) more focused on my own family and memory-making with my own community instead of working through the season and missing out on much.

This is my job. A joy-filled one. A job and most excellent, intuitive gift from God that breaths life into my daily responsibilities but also demands balance and perspective. daily. (deep breath)

Hello friends. If you are reading my blog because you have been trackin' with me for years, hi and here is my hug. Thanks for being awesome and supportive and touching base and investing into Laura K Moore Photography. If you just happened upon my website and are a stranger--curious and distant from me as a personal human being...welcome to my landing page. I haven't blogged in a while because i'm trying to stay on top of wedding and portrait deadlines. I don't apologize because people are more important than my website traffic or analytics. But i do value excellence. I do recognize how systems work. I do welcome you into my world, if but for a moment, and hope that you have a wonderful week and delight in memories...AND... if I get the privilege of capturing your own memories with you, your family, your beloved, your loved ones this season...i look forward to seeing you soon. 

Happy Tuesday. | LKM

My dear friend hope and I this past weekend at our church's women's retreat. | remembering to have fun, let loose, love much, live lots, learn even when painful and corrective, balance more...

A Birthday Surprise | PERSONAL

Sharing some "behind the scenes" snapshots from my personal life last weekend... :) 

That one time a couple girlfriends surprised me with a night away...

Christe, Hope & I | Girl time 

Ocotillo: Sonoran Desert's "Flaming Sword" | Texture Tuesday

For a plant that is often called the "vine cactus" and used as "fencing" because its spiny arms keep intruders out, the Ocotillo's springtime blooms are amazing bursts of color. It actually goes by other names like Candlewood, Slimwood, Coach Whip or Jacob's Staff. But personally, I prefer "Flaming Sword." Little fiery blossoms of surprise and life. 

It's like people, right? Sometimes you just don't give them enough credit and suddenly they bloom forth and you step back and think, "Wow! and that was inside of you this whole time? Such life!" 

....the desert is ripe with life lessons.

P.S. I want to print the last one particularly large. Like, the size of a headboard in my daughter's room. :)

Ocotillo Buds n' Blossoms | 20 x 40 Metal Panels - Ready to Mount $220 set

Ocotillo Blossoms | 16 x 20 Fine Art Metal Panel - Ready to Mount $225

Ocotillo Blossom | 60 x 40 Fine Art Giclee Canvas | $525 

Nathan + Emily | Mt. Baldy Engagement Session | Shades of Blue, Creek Beds and Giddy Innocence | Southern California Wedding Photographer

430am rolled around quickly. I met Emily in PJs and giddiness with my hair/makeup arsenal prepared. We got fancy and mapped out concept and wardrobe for our early morning session in the Mt. Baldy foothills--the same place Nathan proposed one month prior.

I've known Emily since she was 4 years old. I was a clown at family birthday parties. I have watched her become an incredible woman and someone who I can truly call a friend...and soon to be sister. She is marrying my brother--a man happier and more free than I have ever seen him. 

Their affection has ripened these last few years. The wait has been long and sometimes hard, but the way they love each other more freely--laugh deeply and anticipate each other--makes my heart smile like a thousand bursting suns. Delayed gratification...patience...the arduous task of waiting for the right time. the right heart. the right place.......God is so, so good. | LKM 

Merry Christmas from the Moore Family | 2013

Merry Christmas! Here are a few highlights from my home to yours!

1. TUCSON is growing on us. We’ve been here for almost 3 years and we took a tally of a few of our favorite things: incredible sunsets, terrific weather 9 months out of the year (we EARN them with our blistering summers), gourmet pizza parlor The Heist, Greek restaurant Opa, a nearby state park 10 minutes down the road that give us our green grass & palm tree fix, monsoon season, cheapo theater, desert textures that Lawson is determined to capture photographically, and our local gym whose kids club workers dote on our kids every morning.
2. STARBUCKS.  It’s a great company to work for. Lawson’s has learned learned more about himself personally and professionally in this one year than all of his professional experience combined. We are thankful for the sandpaper experiences; hard but good.
3. SECOND MILE. Our new church in Tucson rocks our world. We love the people and the heart that make up Second Mile. We have been impressed by their tangible love for Tucson and passion to raise up ‘the next generation’ well. There are a million talented friends at the church that are super fun to serve alongside and families that are in the “raising-little-people” trenches with us. It is because of Second Mile that we chose to stay in Tucson. It has changed our lives.
4. PHOTOGRAPHY continues to blossom and take on new shades of joy. A collection of exciting opportunities this past year have jump-started a whole new stage of credibility, provision and artistic development. You can track with our photography adventure at  laurakmoore.com!
5. JUDAH is 5 ½ and started kindergarden this year. It was a rough start at first but watching him flourish with new friends and constructive activities and routine was extraordinary. He LOVES it.
6. JORDYN turns 4 in a couple weeks and has thrived with her quality time with mom while Judah is in school. Her favorite hobbies are drawing, cutting up paper to make her own confetti of sorts (we still don’t get it), singing a few particular pop songs at the top of her lungs. We recently upgraded to a super off-key version of “I love you Lord” that will rock your face off.
7. JERICHO turned 1 in September and is quickly earning the nickname JBAM (his initials). He will swing from jovial go-lucky to volatile terror faster than you can say “BAM BAM”. His laugh is the light of our family and Judah & Jordyn can’t get enough of him (that is, when Jericho hasn’t latched on teeth-clenched to Jordyn’s Barbie’s head or steel-gripped to Judah’s curls) SO. FUN.

Merry Christmas! We hope your 2014 is full of hope and joy! 

Raising Daughters | personal

{THROW BACK THURSDAY GUYS :D | December 2011} This blog has been saved in my drafts and was never posted. Who woulda guessed that 2.5 years later...the bonding between she and I would jump into a whole new chapter. Since Judah has started kindergarden, I get undivided (sorta. Jericho is still present. but he's just a stinkin' happy baby that he's not much trouble most of the time :D. knock on wood...) attentioned with my little girl. She loves doing nails, going shopping, trying on every dress in her closet at least once a day, brushing my hair, watching ballerinas, drawing/painting...she's her own little person. One that I have done very little to shape in these little details. (i mean, if i had had my way, she'd already have kleets on and be throwin' down some rugby moves). Nevertheless, the weight of speaking truth, grace, beauty on the inside, joy in other people, guarding her heart...is HUGE. Overwhelming. And i relish the moments that I can have conversations. Isolated and focused. Slow down to hear her thoughts...and actually care.

INSTAGRAM blast // personal

{Instagram Recap | Summer 2013} So July is over and I've recuperated from the intense month of June. I have loved taking a sabbatical from the camera, slowing down a little bit, recharging, engaging with my kids, falling in love with my husband again, running more, surprise visits with friends, zoo trips and making a home. Ground breaking news :: I'm on INSTAGRAM finally. Here are a few snapshots from my summer thus far.You can follow me here: instagram.com/laurakmoorephotography. I quote:  "this is my 'behind the scenes'; the life behind the lens. it is not always glamorous, but definitely FULL. super stoked to be alive."

i'm alive :)

My dear friends. Blog followers. Creepy stalkers whom i don't even know. I've been dormant for a while. Or so you might think from my blog activity these past couple months. (chuckle)...don't be deceived. This July I have blocked off the entire month to simply...be alive; recuperate from my intense month of June shooting in California. I actually get a birthday. Tomorrow I get to kiss my husband's face off--6 years worth. Woah. (Love that man.:) I am reorienting my family into a routine. My kids are loving me for it. Figuring out what normal is harder that it seems. Kindergarden starts in 2 weeks and i don't even WANT to go there right now. (double woah) and I have enough editing to last me till the fall (which it won't. because that' be rude and excruciating for my clients...*facepalm*...i just won't sleep. ever. that's all) I just wanted to say hi. hello. I blog to prove that i'm actually doing work. I blog also to tell the stories behind my pictures which are apparently a pretty cool thing and makes a whole mess of people want to continue looking at pretty pictures of strangers. Like it's an experience or something. I also blog so google analytics like me cuz, ya know, I kinda run a business. I also blog to give a peak into my life too. Sometimes even the gnitty gritty. Haven't done much of that recently. But i'm looking forward to more of that in the near future...though, currently it's trumped by twiterpated newlyweds and sparkly wedding days, handsome seniors,  and beautiful families. While I need to get back to editing, here are three of my most favorite faces in the whole world. they are my heart. my world. and possibly (very very likely) the cause for my plummeting blogging track record.  Alas, everybody and THEIR mommy remind me it's worth it. So I guess I'll keep em. ;) | night. | lkm

p.s. if you want to keep up with my life and pictures in better 'real time' status, you can follow me on facebook: (1) BUSINESS: https://www.facebook.com/LauraKMoorePhotography (2) PERSONAL: www.facebook.com/belovedvagabond (3) INSTAGRAM: laurakmoorephotography (4) twitter: laurakmoore | see ya on the flip side

LKM in SoCal!

 {Laura K Moore Photography | Southern California Mini Portrait Sessions | March 22 & 25}

It's True! We are comin' to town. I'm even bringing babies (for grandparents), my sis-in-law (for bonding) and stylist (for my bomb clients). I have 1 more slots open: monday morning the 25th. :D Eeks! Ready set go! | LKM