The morning after....ALASKA.

It is strange to have just been in Alaska. Ordering my double shot short steamed soy latte this morning i stepped out into an 8am 95 degree weather reflecting. Hopping in the car, Judah asks me to tell him the story about black mud that kills people and Jordyn reminds me that there is this place where they have midnight sun. I'm pleased that they remember details from family time last night. I showed them a map of where i went and a few crazy things that i learned about the totally different PLANET of the last frontier. 

While I currently sit and capture my cards I am overwhelmed with gratitude. It was only 4 days but every day the rocks cried out and my heart was moved to sing a tune celebrating the Creator. I did remind Lawson (my husband and best friend) that he should have been with me. Like literally. I had even secretly conspired with his boss to give him the weekend off and i'd steal him away....but long story short it fell through and i had a few moments of notes to self throughout my trip that went like this: "bottle this up" and return with your Love one day. whole family. a month exploring. adventure and adventure well.

In those moments of homesickness, I would shoot a few extra images just to share with him--bottling it up as best as i could. I'd try to slow down and breath the air that smelled like a yankee candle and know that a moose or elk was probably watching. C O O L. I forced myself to get up early and stay up late just so i could capture the creme de la creme lighting -- when the sunset is soft and long and the mountains get smooth and pink and the water sparkles and the whole world seems to slow and have 4 more hours added to joy and breathing. It was new. Different and bizarre. GORGEOUS... 

While i don't have images totally all captured and sorted yet, i did get a few teasers from the wedding. It'll have to be my place holder until i can get some more highlights worked on :). This is the couple that brought me to their home. To capture their people. To go to this distant land with whales and salmon runs and world-renowned road trips so that I could be in their world and capture it.... so honored and so thankful. | LKM

Christe | A precious friend turns 30 and this is my megaphone version of "thank you for being born"

Christe's name means "elegant, graceful, beautiful, princess." (She's probably rolling her eyes right now reading that.) But I'm stickin' to my guns this morning and diving deep to love this friend. She is my opposite in so many ways which has produced numerous growing lessons these past couple years. So different, in fact, that people have often asked how we are such good friends. She laughs--with that gut-authenticated, wide-mouth, melodic chortle of hers--whenever that happens. We often ask ourselves the same thing. 

Christe and her family have become dear friends (nearly FAMILY) to us since being in Tucson. She has taught me much about finding balance in work and life, she serves with ZERO desire to be recognized, she loves quality time to the nth degree and gives the best hugs in the whole world. 

Christe fights for her home and protects the quiet and the special sanctuary of her family as best as she can. She has taught me much about quality over quantity--IN EVERY AREA OF LIFE. From good food to good conversation--she asks loving intuitive questions that dig deep into character. She calls me out on my ish and lets me pry into hers. Being mom's together has been a particularly sweet part of the last 3 years. With different backgrounds, personalities and children, it would be easy to write off our homes and child-rearing topics as "off limits." But the equalizing force of our love for Jesus and deep desire to raise up our kid's hearts for His, draws us to our knees and onto each other's couch post-bed time with a wine glass in hand and a few parenting bruises we may offer on a platter to breathe out and joys to giggle over. 

Christe hates the spotlight (which makes this post ironic). She serves with as little fan fare as possible which sometimes makes it hard to catch her in the act or know how to thank her. I don't always get it right and in our differences i hope I make her laugh with my megaphone-style hugs... It is her 30th birthday today and that's a big deal. I am standing on a soap box sharing with the world how wonderful my friend is. AND SHE IS LOVING EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT. (Sigh) (I can here her magnificent laugh now and I know I'm going to get a charlie horse in the arm for this later.)

Here are a few highlights of their most recent family session....at the end of the day, I really am not sure quite how to convey my love for this lady and gratefulness for the season of life with her and her family. But a quite double date over korean bbq and a few inside laughs and maybe a couple hours to steal her kids away so she can have a solid run alone and quiet time will say more than lots and lots of words... i'll try that tomorrow. love you friend. | LKM :) 

Pami | Editorial (For a Friend) Shoot | Philippines

Pami and I went to highschool together about 15 years ago. She doesn't remember this but she may have saved my butt in chemistry class with a few late-night studying sessions that may or may not have included a bag full of cheetos, angry flash card reviews and a temper tantrum (or three).

Pami attended Biola University, studied nursing and thrived in Southern California. Through a series of events, she made her way back to Antipolo, Rizal and is currently the (temporary) director of a birthing clinic called Shalom. The long road that brought her back to the Philippines is only one hand-crafted and intuitively designed--a journey that she is smack-dab in the middle of. She works 12+ hour days and administrates, serves, teaches, coordinates, collaborates, delivers, nurses, nurtures and saves...  

On this morning we woke up before the sun and I colored her face and did her hair and found a few nice things in her closet and went out to a place where bamboo stalks were glazed with warm morning sunbeams. Ants worked, birds sang, crickets strummed and the hum of a southeast asian jungle was alive and strong.

We hiked through the blanket of humid air a bit. Finding a rickety bridge and a few off-the-beaten-path spots, I took her bags and asked her to breathe.

I spent about an hour with my friend and hoped SO badly that something would turn out well; that these pictures would be beautiful and she would feel beautiful. 

Pami rocked the whole darn thing. She carried herself with such poise…(Grin) Don’t get me wrong. It was work to get there. Some of the stuff we attempted were ridiculous and we caught ourselves giggling and wondering what we were doing out in the middle of nowhere with a half-constructed trail. Sweat dripped off my nose while I perched myself on a fallen tree with leaves the size of dinner platters. I tried not to think of the ants with fangs drooling over my foot that dangled above them. I shot and directed and just wanted to love my friend. 

Fast forward to last week when I sat working in the air-conditioned comfort of my Arizona apartment wrapping up a few edits from our time in the jungle—thousands of miles away. My moonbeams were her sunbeams and as I was writing, my quick email slowed and some thankful thoughts from deep places surprised me. The session was so much more than a editorial project for my portfolio. Here was this precious lady who shared a few pieces of her worn but obedient heart looking ever radiant in a place that is not always comfortable but a place that she chooses to love and pour herself into. And I was so thankful for her. For being able to see a sliver of the life she lives and people she loves and leads and her heart and spirit that is surrendering. daily. 

here are a few highlights...

LKM is in the Philippines!

so this is happening today....

Honoring Sarah | LKM Second Shooter, Detail Master, Friend & Artist

Sarah was one of my primary second shooters for the last couple years. Her eye, her gentle presence, her willing hands and heart have been a joy to work with. Today it's Sarah's birthday and I wanted to honor her. her craft. the time she has spent investing into LKM and the couple's we have aimed to serve well and shoot beautifully. :) We have quite a few stories from shooting together. A few inside jokes and lots of hilarious stories--but most joyfully, she has been a gracious partner and team mate! She has been my memory, my water provider, my caddy and my human tripod. She has stood on precarious ledges, endured awkward groomsmen on the dance floor, and been there to catch moments behind my back; the unseen, the quiet and the hidden. 

Sarah. You are precious. Your story, your heart, your seeking interest in things that are beautiful and true.

You are an artist. You see things through eyes that are ever curious and inquiring; patient, humble and teachable. 

Your hands make beautiful things. You friendship has been precious. Your companionship these past couple years made this adventure more beautiful. more fun. more meaningful... the last 2 years of the LKM wedding portfolio is better because of you.  We have been honored to have you shoot with us and be part of our team. :) Love you friend!

And since no post is complete without a few pictures, here are a few special shots of Sarah while in Oregon last summer.  We were in the PNW for a destination wedding in Astoria, Oregon. (Go HERE for the behind-the-scenes of that PNW adventure and HERE to see highlights from the Oregon destination wedding)

Alice-in-Wonderland Enchanted Garden Wedding | Re-Feature

We are re-featuring Matt + Marcy's Spring Garden Wedding simply because we loved it that much....AND because today is their 2 year anniversary :) 

If you didn't get a chance to drool over the jaw-dropping DIY work Marcy and her loved ones put into her wedding masterpiece, you get to now. :) 

Part One of Alice in Wonderland DIY Garden Wedding

Part Two of Alice in Wonderland DIY Garden Wedding

Part Three Alice in Wonderland Inspired Engagement Session

Happy Anniversary M + M! 

ANNOUNCING: LKM STUDIOS, a new Associate and a letter that started it all....

So it's time. We're making it official. Laura K Moore Photography is growing. We'd like to introduce you to a part of LKM that is going to be a bit of a game-changer. I'm beside myself--completely, utterly stoked. 

Here is a little bit of history...

photo by Trevor Crosby | LKM STUDIOS

Back in October 2014 LKM had reached it's ceiling. We had capped out in availability and were turning down weddings and sessions due to limited availability and personal capacity.

photo by Trevor Crosby | LKM STUDIOS

At the same time I had seen a local photographer's work sprinkle across my facebook feed and I'd swoon. He could deliver these epic shots in weddings that were breathtaking. I wanted to watch him work though. In my book of humble standards, quality of image must not trump the quality of client experience. Could he connect, direct, develop rapport, maintain trust, make his clients laugh? So when Trevor Crosby asked me to second shoot with him I took the opportunity to watch him work..... And his couple laughed. The bridal party was comfortable. The guys were at ease. He covered the story and everybody hugged him and his amazing assistant (cough) wife at the end of the night. SOLD. :)

photo by Trevor Crosby | LKM STUDIOS

So then we talked. I asked him what he loved most about photography. What part of the process of being a business owner resonated most and what did not. I had remembered, in times past, conversations about back-end stuff not being favorite -- the marketing, blogging, contract writing, etc. I grinned. This entire last year has been a calculated process of developing a succinct backend workflow process that can help us be more on our game. We've also been researching different modes of marketing that resonate most with our local and destination audiences. We have been watching the trends and meeting with vendors and asking questions about industry trends and tools. And folks, we are still in the midst of a maturing stage, but it was time to sit in front of this photographer whom I had grown to respect and ask him a big question...would you be willing to be part of LKM STUDIOS.

We talked more. A lot. Multiple occasions. He was intuitive and cautious but we were both beginning to get excited. And finally we found ourselves, with our spouses, facing a contract. Here is the opening to the contract--a letter of anticipation and thankfulness to Trevor:

photo by Trevor Crosby | LKM STUDIOS

Trevor,

Respected magic-maker, craft-developer, artist and friend, 

You have been asked to be part of LKM Studios because of your expertise in technical artistry, ease of communication, gracious demeanor, love for the craft and love for people. I hope and pray that this is only the beginning of something both life-giving and incredibly fun and rewarding for both of us. 

photo by Trevor Crosby | LKM STUDIOS

I anticipate a lot of laughter and excitement. I anticipate a sense of “team” that attracts people to our brand. I anticipate camaraderie, brainstorming, dreaming, challenging, sharing, bearing burdens and encouraging each other. 

I am pumped.

I am nervous.

I am giddy with ambition and tangible possibility.

photo by Trevor Crosby | LKM STUDIOS

But first and foremost…I am honored that you are willing to come and shoot for LKM STUDIOS. I am proud to have you part of this team! 

Sincerely,

Laura K Moore

Executive Photographer & CEO

www.laurakmoore.com

photo by Trevor Crosby | LKM STUDIOS

So this is our preliminary announcement.... we will be rolling out a few more details and 'the way things will be' regarding this LKM STUDIOS thing and probably a few with FAQs and sassy answers. For right now, here are 3 clarifying points:

- I, Laura, am still shooting, just capping my number of weddings and portraits each month.

- Trevor is now an LKM photographer. His name will still be attached to his work and he will still be sharing highlights of his work but his clients are LKM couples and his work under the LKM Studios logo.

- Our goal is to not diminish his work nor reduce the the high quality and energy of the LKM brand. We also aim to serve our clients well, offer more options and availability, and will strive to strengthen a comprehensive portfolio as 2 photographers sharpen each other! CHEERS! | LKM

photo by Trevor Crosby | LKM STUDIOS

So this is Trevor. And his serious face....

and this is Trevor, one of his precious dogs Marty, and his silly lighthearted self. :) 

Welcome to the LKM team Trevor!

Tucson's "Speedtano" Starbucks Celebrates 1 year! | Coffee Giveaway!

1 year ago today I was shooting this fun community event on east side Tucson, Arizona. One of my dear friends opened this brand spankin' new storefront and the people who flocked to support came from all corners of the city. Starbucks fans, non-fans and then some. Kids were stoked. Drinks were gifted. Barista's joked and customers laughed. Lines were out the door. Balloons hailed. Intersection honked. And the foothills glowed as the sun set on the festivities! Here are a few highlights! Happy birthday SPEEDTANO! :) If you're local, stop by! Intersection of Pantando/Speedway

To CELEBRATE,  LKM is giving away 3 Starbucks Gift Cards!

To enter: "LIKE" and "FOLLOW" on INSTAGRAM

(winner announced on Monday)

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... 

Wyatt + Hilary | Red Mugs & Desert Wash Coffee Dates | Lifestyle Engagement Session

Wyatt + Hilary are planning their wedding from Sacramento. Knowing that they only had a few trips to cram a whole lot of strategic wedding development in, we snagged some time over the holidays to meet for coffee and hang out in the desert. I was told Wyatt doesn't like pictures. And my response was, "whelp good thing he doesn't have to. he just has to love you and i'll be there for it..."

So we met on a chilly winter morning. Stopped for coffee and then found a wash where the sun was just barely beginning to kiss the dew...

Here are a few favorite moments with these two...