Lynn's Lens Photography: Blog

Kara's First Birthday Cake Smash

lynnslensphoto@outlook.com (Lynn's Lens Photography) — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 01:43:07 GMT

A baby's first year is filled with "firsts". Their first smile, their first tooth, the first time they sit up on their own, the first time they crawl. Everything is a "first"!! It culminates with that milestone FIRST birthday!! I was so excited that Maggie reached out to me to photograph her daughter Kara's first birthday cake smash. Maggie had told me that she was planning a Barney theme for the party, so I coordinated my setup and it couldn't have been cuter. And Kara is just the most precious little princess who was all smiles from the moment we set her down. It took a little coaxing from her daddy to get her hands messy in her cupcake, but once she figured it out, she was all in!! Surrounded by family members and friends, Kara bounced and giggled the entire time. What a little sweetheart!! Happy First Birthday, sweet Kara, and I wish you many more happy "firsts" as you continue to grow!

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Maria's Senior Photos - Albuquerque Photographer - Rio Rancho Photographer

lynnslensphoto@outlook.com (Lynn's Lens Photography) — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 19:40:18 GMT

Photographing High School Seniors is one of my favorite things to do! I just love getting to know them a bit through the questionnaire that I have them fill out, and then spending our sessions talking about their interests, activities and their plans for the future. They are so full of life and ambition and enthusiasm. This was definitely the case with Maria from Rio Rancho High School. She is graduating this year and planning on going to school to become a nurse. As you will see in the following photos, she is a true natural beauty. Not only is she gorgeous on the outside, but she seems like such a genuine, kind young woman. I really had a great time meeting her, her mom and little sister and we had so much fun during her session. I certainly hope these photos reflect that! And since most of her family lives out of state, this will be a great way for them to be able to take a sneak peek into her photo session, as if they were there!

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Of course, we need to start with Maria representing! And she had the coolest rhinestone bling on her Letterman's jacket.

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The first part of our session was a little more formal. We found a building with some great architecture and used that as our backdrop. Maria boasted a sophisticated, elegant look and was a natural in front of the camera!

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This photo looks like it came straight out of a magazine! I asked for Maria's best Beyonce walk and she totally owned it!

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Just a casual close up to show off that beautiful smile!

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After a wardrobe change, we headed up to the Sandia Mountains to get some nature shots. Spring has not quite sprung here in New Mexico, so I thought the mountains would be the perfect backdrop for the second half of our session, since most of our trees don't have any leaves yet! We couldn't have made a better choice.

Now it was time to get a little more relaxed and casual and just enjoy the beautiful weather and have a little fun!

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Tassel in hand, ready to graduate and start her next adventure! Thanks so much, Maria, for allowing me to capture you beautiful spirit! Best of luck to your in your future endeavors. Keep reaching for your dreams!

Rose's Family Session - Albuquerque Photographer - Rio Rancho Photographer

lynnslensphoto@outlook.com (Lynn's Lens Photography) — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 02:35:08 GMT

When I launched my photography business a few months ago, I had asked my dear friend Rose if she would be interested in letting me do a family session for her to help build my portfolio. She was all in and told me that they hadn't had family photos done in several years! This was not so much about portfolio building, and all about being able to provide lasting and cherished family memories to a friend and her family. I've come to realize in recent years that photos are really the only things that a family keeps for generations. It's our histories, our memories and our stories. I am honored to be able to photograph children and families and to provide them that something that they will pass down in their family for years to come. And when you have a family whose love shines through in every expression, it makes my job the best in the world!

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Montana's Senior Photo Session - Albuquerque Photographer - Rio Rancho Photographer

lynnslensphoto@outlook.com (Lynn's Lens Photography) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 16:18:13 GMT

Sometimes, you meet a young person and you just just know, they have "it". That's the feeling I got when I met Montana to do her senior photos. Montana is the daughter of a friend, and as you will see in the photos, she is very involved in dance and theatre. My husband and I have been going to her high school performances for the past couple of years and we both feel that she is immensely talented. She is beautiful, animated, bubbly, silly, and has a smile that can light up the room. And after graduation, she's off to the Big Apple to pursue her dreams. Watch out, New York, she's comin' for you!

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Saavedra Family Session - Albuquerque Family Photographer - Rio Rancho Family Photographer

lynnslensphoto@outlook.com (Lynn's Lens Photography) — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 20:24:16 GMT

Fall is in the air here in Albuquerque, New Mexico!! My favorite time of the year in the desert - sunny days, cool nights and the trees are beginning to change into their beautiful fall colors. Why not take advantage of that with a family photo session! That's exactly what the Saavedra family did. What a perfect day for photos and what a beautiful family. Rochelle and her husband Jeff along with the kids, Sariah and Leo. Leo was a little bundle of energy - aren't all 2 year olds, though? and Sariah could totally strike a pose - what pre-teen girl doesn't know how to do that, right! Rochelle and Jeff are a lovely couple whose affection for each shown through in each photo. Thanks so much for the session Rochelle! You have a beautiful family!

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Taff Family Session-Albuquerque Family Photographer-Rio Rancho Family Photographer

lynnslensphoto@outlook.com (Lynn's Lens Photography) — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 19:49:30 GMT

What I love the most about family photo sessions is the interaction between the family members. Posed photos are always nice, but I just love getting natural, organic and loving moments. And with the Taff family, we got all that and more! I had already met Nyah and her mom Elena, as I had taken her Senior High School photos a couple of weeks before. During this session, I also got to meet Brendan and Kylie. And what a lovely family they are, and so photogenic! Honestly, I think my favorite part of this session was when I took the girls aside and shot the sister photos. I asked them some questions that got them laughing and it just got better from there! Their affection for each other was so genuine and beautiful. Thank you Taff family, for a great session! You were an absolute joy to work with! DSC_3335 DSC_3362 DSC_3597 DSC_3387 DSC_3437

Nyah's Senior Photos - Albuquerque & Rio Rancho Photographer

lynnslensphoto@outlook.com (Lynn's Lens Photography) — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 18:24:32 GMT

One of my favorite groups to photograph are High School Seniors! I just love getting to know them and discovering their plans for the future. They are so full of enthusiasm (probably because they're finally almost done with high school!!) and promise, and so excited for a bright future and new adventures. It was my pleasure to photograph Nyah over the past couple of weeks, a senior at Rio Rancho High School. She just radiates beauty and her smile is infectious. I really enjoyed getting to know a little bit about her and what's in store for her after graduation. We chose two separate locations and for her second shoot she asked if she could include her dog, Molly! That just made my heart so happy, being the fanatic dog lover that I am! And a big thank you to Nyah's mom, Elena for all of the emails back and forth and being there to support Nyah. I had such a great time and I hope Nyah did as well. Best of luck to this gorgeous gal for the rest of her senior year and beyond!

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This wasn't one of the posed pictures we did with her puppy, but I just love the looks on both of their faces in this one!!

nyah-13 nyah-5 nyah-19 The beauty of shooting during the "Golden Hour" The light is absolutely dreamy!

nyah-16 About 15 minutes before sunset each day, the mountains turn a bright red color (Thus their name, The Sandia Mountains, Spanish for watermelon). It was perfect timing for this shot!

nyah-22 Nyah asked for a shot facing away from the camera, looking out onto the Rio Grande river. I am soooo in love with this one!

Letters Couples Session - Albuquerque Photographer

lynnslensphoto@outlook.com (Lynn's Lens Photography) — Sun, 23 Sep 2018 15:18:57 GMT

You know, sometimes you meet people and you just feel this instant sense of comfort and friendship. That's exactly the feeling I got when I met Leslie and Joanne Letters for their couples session. I spent a few moments learning their story, and I told a little of mine. They had an ease in front of the camera and didn't hesitate to be loving and vulnerable and then be laughing and silly. I make it a goal of all of my sessions to not just get the "posed" photos that most people want for their walls, but also those moments that are natural, authentic connections and interactions. And Leslie and Joanne epitomized those types of connections. From the first shot to the last, it was obvious how much love and respect these two lovely ladies have for each other. What a fun session this was!

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It didn't take long for their personalities to come out and really shine. I could instantly tell that they have a lot of laughter and joy in their lives. I found them to be so easy to talk to, as we chatted for the entire session. One of my goals in opening my business was not only to be able to provide beautiful photos to my clients, but also to make new friends along the way.

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We were even lucky enough to find a spot where the fall colors are beginning to glow! Leslie and Joanne said we nailed it with this location, as they are all about the outdoors and sharing nature with their three fur babies! Hopefully, the Bachechi Open Space will be a new spot for them to take their dogs and recall this super fun photo session! Thanks ladies, I had an absolute blast!

Browne Sibling Session

lynnslensphoto@outlook.com (Lynn's Lens Photography) — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 15:54:01 GMT

OK guys, you want to talk about Cuteness Overload.....these two little cuties take the cake!! Honestly, I don't know if I've ever met more friendly, outgoing kids in my life. Both of them were so happy and eager to have their photos taken, and boy did it come across in the images we captured! As always, I just wanted to start out with a couple of test shots, just for the kids to get a feel for the camera and for me to get a feel for my lighting. Well, I took one look at those first images on the back of my camera, and I thought to myself, "This is gonna be fun!!". I mean, just take a look!! This was the first image that I took!

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And if I had any doubts about how much fun this session was going to be, those were quickly erased!! Typical brother photo bomb! I think my mom has some of those with my brother doing the same type of thing!

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We did this photo shoot at Bachechi Open Space, right along the Rio Grande River in Albuquerque, NM. The cool thing about this place is that there are so many different places within the open space, each providing different lighting and backgrounds. It's so nice to have a spot where you can take so many different photos with such varying back drops.

After we left the bridge, and the ducks and turtles that were swimming below, we headed to a wooded area. I wanted to get some shots of the kids walking some of the paths and also sitting on some of the wood benches that line the walking paths.

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It's not easy to keep a 2 and 4 year old engaged for an hour photo shoot, but their mom had told me in my client questionnaire that both of the kids really like music, so I came armed with my toddler station on Pandora and my bluetooth speaker, and we had a mini dance contest in the woods! We played several songs while the kids danced and sang and I snapped away! Afterwards, we all shared a snack of animal crackers, because after all, what's better after a dance contest than animal crackers!

I love doing these shoots during the "Golden Hour", about an hour before sunset. The lighting is just that, golden! It just makes your skin glow and the back lighting is magical! We stopped by an open area with some tall grasses to take advantage of some of that beautiful golden light.

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Before I knew it, our session was over! These kids were an absolute dream to work with, and their parents were just the nicest people! It was easy to see why these kids were so polite and playful.

Thank you so much, Stephanie, for allowing me to photograph your kids! You have a beautiful family and I hope we can do this again soon!

Jeannine & Eduardo's Family Session

lynnslensphoto@outlook.com (Lynn's Lens Photography) — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 14:46:46 GMT

Family sessions are always so much fun…..and so unpredictable!! Especially with toddlers. But that’s one of the best things about my job! You never know what’s going to happen.

Jeannine and Eduardo’s family were an absolute dream! They were open to anything. Jeannine had told me that she had always had studio portraits taken of the kids, but was so excited to be able to take pictures outside, with the whole family. We chose the Bosque (Spanish for “forest”) in Albuquerque. It’s an area that runs along the Rio Grande River with a high concentration of Cottonwood trees that provides a beautiful recreational area for hiking, bicycling and dog walking.

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We started off with the family poses (‘cause we all know those are the ones that Mom wants, right)! I am absolutely obsessed with how Eduardo and his son are looking at each other in this photo! It's just such a genuine look of affection and love.

Then I took the kids individually to get some shots of them. These kids were naturals in front of the camera! I kept asking their son if he had modeled before because, well, just look at how handsome he is, first, but also because I didn’t even have to give him a lot of direction. He was a pro at striking a pose!

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Their oldest daughter was a total charmer! She is absolutely beautiful and I had so much fun photographing her. She was more than eager to pose and look like the total princess that she is! And she kept wanting to see the image on the back of my camera after each picture!! Well of course, what girl would not want to make sure she looked her best!

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Their littlest angel was only two years old but she did everything we asked her to do. She followed the leads of her big brother and sister and smiled the whole time. She was such a doll, and just look at those beautiful eyelashes!!

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Of course we had to get some group shots of the kids to finish the session. These kids had such a real love for each other. You could just tell in they way they interacted with each other. I can't thank Jeannine and Eduardo enough for giving me the opportunity to capture these memories for their family! JEANNINE-5

Saturday Morning at the Albuquerque Downtown Grower's Market

lynnslensphoto@outlook.com (Lynn's Lens Photography) — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 22:12:43 GMT

There's almost no better way to spend an early Saturday summer morning wandering your local grower's market. All of the locally grown food and activities for kids of all ages abound. Here in Albuquerque, NM, it's that time of year too - Chile harvesting season!! So the smell of roasting chile filled the air of Robinson Park. Over 100 vendors sell their wares to an eager crowd. The colors, smells and music fill the air with a sense of vibrant life and community. Do yourself a favor and shop local!!

DSC_0756	The colors of all the veggies spanned the rainbow! Everything was fresh, home grown and looked absolutely delicious! Based on the size of the crowds perusing the market, this food is a big hit with the locals!
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OK, so I am absolutely OBSESSED with colors of the tomatoes! Does that make me weird, or what?! They are just so beautiful - they almost look too good to eat.....almost!	DSC_0732
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DSC_0762	It's the crown jewel of the late summer harvests here in New Mexico....tah dah!!! I give you green chile. For those of you who don't live here, the locals eat green chile with EVERYTHING! It's pretty much required. Anywhere from mild to extra hot....there's a heat level for everybody!
There are plenty of fresh herb and flowers vendors to go around as well. So many stunning colors of summer blooms. Take home a bouquet and enjoy the beauty of nature!	DSC_0726
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DSC_0783	Did I happen to mention the baked goods? O.M.G! It took every ounce of willpower that I had to not scarf down all of those butter croissants!!
DSC_0778 Be still my heart....my mouth is watering just looking at the these photos! Oh bread, why do I love thee so much!?	DSC_0781 DSC_0788
DSC_0792	DSC_0791 Fresh pasta too! And oh, the presentation was just lovely.
DSC_0744	DSC_0743 When I was a little girl and living on a farm in rural Northeast Ohio, we used to go out to the chicken coop everyday to collect fresh eggs.
DSC_0770 So many interesting and fun people working the booths! Everyone is extremely knowledgeable about their products.	DSC_0747
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DSC_0754	Don't forget to bring your four-legged friends! The Albuquerque Downtown Grower's Market is super pet friendly. I think the dogs have more fun than the people, personally.
These beauties had their faces painted and were nice enough to pose for a photo! DSC_0861	DSC_0796 DSC_0794 These girls were getting henna tattoos and proudly showed them off!
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DSC_0872	Music filled the air and young and old alike enjoyed the sounds. They even played a John Denver song, so they immediately won my heart over!

If you live in the Albuquerque area and have not been to the Downtown Growers Market, what are you waiting for? The sense of community and friendship was so inviting. The food, jewelry, herbs, flowers and handmade soaps and lotions were an absolute feast for the senses. And the joy of seeing so many families - parents, grandparents and young kids enjoying a beautiful summer day in the park is warming to the heart.

And if you don't live here, I guarantee you there are similar markets in your town or close by. Go and check them out. Support local businesses. You'll be happy you did.