Searching For A Photographer

Wanted: Family Photographer as good as the one back home.

So, last year I get a call from Deborah, a self-proclaimed, “picture person” (which means someone who’s passionate about her family photos… this is a good thing). She let me know that she had worked with the same family photographer, whom she dearly loved, in New York since they had started their family 4 years ago.   Since moving to Gilbert she was now in search of a new photo studio they could feel as comfortable with as their beloved family photographer  “back home.”  Yea, it was a little intimidating at first.  We wanted to be the new beloved family photographer, I knew she would be a great client, but those were big shoes to fill.  Anyway, she booked an appointment for her son Antonio and for their family portraits including their 2 Standard Poodles.

Thankfully, it was a great fit. They loved us and we loved them. They are a beautiful family and were so relaxed in front of the camera we soon forgot about trying to impress them and just had fun.   Their super cute 3 year old and 2 beautiful dogs kept us laughing and sweating as we chased them around trying to corral everyone into family photos. Here are a few samples from the shoot.

This year we went on location to their new home in Scottsdale, and did the photo shoot in their front courtyard. Their home is a lovely Santa Barbara style ranch home that was a perfect background for the wall prints we had planned for their interiors.  As expected, more laughing and chasing in sued only Antonio was now 4 and Rada , one of the poodles, was no longer a puppy. I especially loved the photos of Rada, and Antonio.  It was the classic “A boy and his dog” moment.   During the shoot, I looked over at Deborah and she was absolutely beaming and I knew we were giving the “picture person” exactly what she wanted, and I was reminded of how much I love what we do. We get to be part of a family’s history.  We get to grab a few moments of their lives and capture it in a way that they will linger over and enjoy for years and years.

These are a few of the photographs from the shoot. While we ended up making several large wall portraits, this 36 x 36 panel was fun for all and captures this special time in their lives.

Family Wall Portrait

0 Comments

Posted in : Family, Uncategorized

Fun Photography At Desert Shores Pediatrics

I had to take Sophie for her 2 year check-up and to get her immunization shots a few weeks ago. Sophie loves the pediatrician, she talks about Dr. Mohler and how excited she is to get a sticker… amazing.  What a brave little thing, I make Jon go with me so he can hold her during her shots and I can slip out to  “settle up” at the front desk . Yeah, I admit it; I’m a big chicken.  I can remember my mom taking me to the doctor as a kid.  It must have been traumatizing, because to this day, I really hate going to the doctor, and tend to avoid it even when I shouldn’t. I think I even fainted once because I had gotten so worked up over getting a shot.   Not my Sophie, she likes to go. I’m grateful that she won’t have the same “phobia” about doctors as her mom.  Maybe it has something to do with our wonderful pediatrician and her staff at Desert Shores Pediatrics.

The office has a super cute beach theme, with Disney like beach murals, cool surfboards and fun décor. Their waiting rooms look more like play rooms, with great kid movies playing and fun toys and stuff to do while you wait.  Did I also mention the awesome giant beach photos of really cute kids on their walls?  What a wonderful idea to feature photography of her kids as well as her staff’s kids and some of her little patients in the photos gracing the walls of both their offices. When we were asked to do the photos we were thrilled.

That was a really fun shoot.  It was a little chaotic at times with so many little guys running around in the water and sand.  So we just stepped back and let all the fun happen.  The result was magical.

Anyway, it’s a very fun, welcoming and happy place and I’m glad Dr. Mohler has been a long time client of ours.  She is a great pediatrician and friend, and for some reason, Sophie can’t wait to go back. ~Bethany

To see more photography of the kids playing click here.

0 Comments

Posted in : Family

Paisley’s Senior Portraits

Meet Paisley.  (Don’t you love that name?) A beautiful Mesquite High School Senior from Gilbert.  Not only is she beautiful, she’s smart, talented, (a gifted dancer) and she has a fun personality…. I thought the pretty ones didn’t get to have talent and great personalities!!!  Life is so un-fair….  Anyway, Jon and Mary had a great time doing senior portraits with Paisely and her mom. It was one of those beautiful, cloudy breezy days, great for senior photos in spite of the wind.  Best thing is she brought oodles of clothing changes that gave us a lot of variety and inspiration.  Nice job Paisley!

Here are a few of my favorite shots from her senior photo session.


She looks amazing and check out my awesome snap dragons!

Even in black and white her eyes are stunning.

0 Comments

Posted in : Senior Photography

Seton Catholic Prep Groundbreaking In Chandler

We had the exciting privilege of photographing the groundbreaking ceremony for  Seton Catholic Preparatory High School’s new building.  It will be a three-story, 55,000 sq. ft. classroom building and will be built to the west of the chapel. The new building will provide a new fine arts level, a black box theater with seating for 400 and 16 additional classrooms.  When completed they will be able to increase enrollment to 700 students and eventually house 1,000 students.

Lamar Studios has been the official photography studio for Seton for over ten years. I’m always impressed at the quality of the Seton students that come through our studio. We photograph them for their school pictures as timid and awkward freshmen  and then  one day they come walking into the studio for  their senior portraits confident and ready to conquer the world. We really get a kick out of  watching them grow up.  Everyone at the studio has been made to feel like they are part of the Seton family.

This project has been years in the making and it’s finally happening.  We are so thrilled for the Seton families and faculty members and can’t wait to see the finished result.

Click here to see more photos of the groundbreaking .

1 Comment

Posted in : Family, Senior Photography, Uncategorized

Senior Pictures Of My Nephew

I recently did senior pictures of my nephew Josh. Although I’ve been photographing him for a long time this was special. He has always been such a great kid and is now at Arizona State University. Before I photographed him we talked and he had a lot of great ideas for some shots that he wanted.  I love photographing seniors anyway, but it’s great to get some input into what they are thinking and know that I am creating images that stay true to who they are and how they want to represent themselves. Josh is such a creative and interesting kid, we had a great time incorporating some of his interests into his shots.

I am amazed at his confidence at the ripe old age of 18 and his ability to hang out with adults with ease. It’s surreal looking through the camera at this big 6 foot 4 kid who only yesterday was running through the sprinklers and watching “Veggie Tales” in our family room.  Pretty cool for me to do his photos. He’s my third nephew that I’ve had the privilege of photographing. As I see his photographs, I see the culmination of all those years growing up and see a boy transitioning into a man.

Check out this video of Josh

1 Comment

Posted in : Family, Senior Photography

Hope Realized


I love this photo, not because it’s the “worlds greatest family photo” because as art goes, it’s pretty underwhelming.  But if you look at the faces of the adults you see the beauty that Jon and I see in this shot.  As many of you, our friends and clients know, our 2 beautiful daughters came to us by way of adoption.  We started this journey about 3 years ago with a core group of about 8 other couples as part of a support group for adoptive families formed through an organization called “With Child.” I can remember looking around this room of couples, all with different stories yet we were all the same.  We all really, really wanted to be parents.  We came together every month or so, to support each other, pray together and sometimes cry the tears of joy and sadness as we experienced the ups and downs of adoption together. It took a little over 2 years, but the entire core group now has the delightful sounds of little feet running and crawling through our homes, (and in our case photo studio).

This photograph was an impromptu shot taken at one of our get-togethers in February.  It’s a snapshot of the happy faces of hope realized. What a miracle!

0 Comments

Posted in : Family

Valley Christian High School Music Groups

Jon and I recently visited Valley Christian High School, located in Chandler, to photograph some of their music groups.  We usually go to the school a few times during the year to take pictures of their various extracurricular activity groups so they can put them in their yearbook.  We enjoy seeing the kids because we photographed a lot of them during the summertime for their senior pictures.  It’s great to see them throughout the year.  I can tell they’re getting excited about graduation coming up in May.  -Mary

High School Senior Pictures Photographers

0 Comments

Posted in : Family, Senior Photography, Uncategorized

Golf 4 Wheels

I recently had the opportunity to play golf in a charity tournament, which raised money to buy wheelchairs, to benefit those in need in Guatemala. I always love playing golf and it’s especially great when it’s for a great cause, talk about a win-win!  As a photographer I often take for granted my own mobility. When I’m taking senior pictures or family pictures at our portrait studio I’m always climbing up a ladder or getting down on my knees in some position that requires a lot of mobility. During the tournament our foursome came up to one of the tee boxes and saw an empty wheel chair. We were offered an opportunity to try to hit our golf ball while sitting in that wheelchair. Talk about a fish out of water. I flailed around with my driver and after several misses finally hit the ball but not quite the direction I was hoping. After that experience I  felt a great deal of appreciation for my ability to get around. I am looking forward to the next Golf 4 Wheels tournament next year.

0 Comments

Posted in : Family

Newer Entries »

Copyright © 2010 Lamar Photography Studios. All rights reserved.

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy