Albuquerque NM Photographer - Laura Meeks Photography

Photographer’s Child Syndrome – Albuquerque Kid’s Photography

Laura — Sat, 26 May 2012 04:45:49 +0000

If you follow my work on Facebook here, you might already know that my daughter turned 4 at the end of April. Of course, I needed to take her out to do a session and capture HER in all her newly-4-year-old glory. So, no pressure to start with… right? I could photograph other kids all day long, gladly actually, I love capturing them busy as heck, doing their thing wherever we are. But my own? There is a WHOLE ‘NOTHA level of stress involved with that. Ask any photographer that has kids. But am I going to do it anyway? Check.

Now, where the heck shall we go? I stewed and stewed. I wanted a place that was HER, not me, and not some place I’ve been dying to shoot at – that can be later with bribery. I wanted a spot that was her, through and through, to capture her now. She loves pinks and purples – and what comes to mind? This one wild wall in downtown Albuquerque. Perfecto mundo. Location? Check

Now, clothing. The dreaded clothing selection. I want it to be reflective of her, again (seeing a theme here on how I operate?!) but I wasn’t entirely sure I was willing to put the choice in her hands entirely. Looking back, considering my child HAS to be made up of 95% leg, I might have made a different selection, but what the heck. Cute, funky, funny, and not fitting quite right = my kid. Clothing? Check.

Next, timing. The golden hour is the best time to capture outdoor portraits, in my opinion. But my kid goes to bed early. How early? Before sunset. Yes, I know, you’re all jealous I have “free” evenings but you might take that back when you know both my kids are up before 6am. Yes, 6. So, I decided to take the 2nd best time approach and do early morning. Besides, we’re downtown and the buildings will block some of that sun anyway. Time selected? Check. Time of day? Not so checked when you wake up lazy on a Sunday morning of a very, very busy weekend.

We pack up some of her favorites we wanted to incorporate into her pictures into a giant pink bin and we set out, husband and other baby in tow, and we do it. In roughly 2.2 minutes flat, she’s done. Done listening, done sitting, done standing, done with everything. The chair is only OK behind the parking meter (awesome.) and there are too many ants on the sidewalk (fabulous.). She’s wrapping her favorite stuffed animal across her eyes and refusing to touch her favorite books (fab.). She’d rather people watch. Wonder who she got that from? *blush* Get her to act natural? Check.

Was it a dream session? No. But it captured my kid, as I see her, everyday. Sassy, spicy, sweet and silly. Silly the most. Surrounded by the bright colors she loves, her favorite stuffed animal we made together swinging along, freaking out over any moving spot on the ground and taking in the world in a yellow chair shoved behind a parking meter. Man, do I love this big (baby) girl.

Below is my favorite image. It makes me giggle, almost uncontrollably. Holy legs, right? I would regret this clothing choice if it wasn’t so hysterical and so HER. She loved it too… and what you can’t see? Yeah, that stuffed animal wrapped over her eyes smashing them into odd shapes.

Meet Four.

Albuquerque and Rio Rancho Lifestyle Children’s Photographer

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Fine Art: Drops of Sunshine – Albuquerque NM Photographer

Laura — Sat, 26 May 2012 02:22:39 +0000

One not-so-secret-thing anymore is how much I love seeing the little details of new places I meet clients for their sessions… like these beauties. All over Albuquerque, whether I’ve been meeting clients at a park, in the Bosque, at Elena Gallegos, walking by UNM just driving from place to place, I’ve seen some of the most gorgeous wildflowers this year. Yellow, purple, pinks, reds… you name it. Something has caused me to notice these more this year and no matter what the reason, I’m going to continue stopping to appreciate the small beauty we find tucked into small spaces all over. Little surprises sometimes wrapping out of concrete or dirt, making life where sometimes that simple act alone can be tough.

These small, yellow drops of sunshine were at a park…where I was shooting a family for Shoots for a Cure, an organization that I volunteer for by offering my custom lifestyle photography sessions to people battling cancer. They caught my eye multiple times in many places all over the park and I knew I needed to capture a shot of them.

I’ve posted images of flowers before, that I came across at sessions. I love capturing a beautiful little piece of life. But also, to me, the same image brings back the memories of the session – whether it was warm or cold, what my clients and I chatted about as I climbed around them to capture them together… I love the extra memories. And it goes to show just HOW special one single image can be to someone…

Albuquerque and Rio Rancho Fine Art Photography

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Estella is TWO – Albuquerque Children’s Photographer

Laura — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:29:08 +0000

Remember sweet Estella and her family from her One Year Session? Well, wait til you get a load of her now. She’s TWO, on the move like mad, a giant pile of giggles and sass and just oh so fun. I LOVED spending some time with her at a local park in Albuquerque, capturing her new moves and attitude… and loving every minute of it! Not only is she pretty cool, I feel like I have a match made in heaven with her parents, which always rocks my socks…and they do!!

We met for a Milestone Mini Session – a new offering I have for current clients and boy am I glad I unveiled this new program! So fun to make any little milestone a reason to get together and capture some memories. Sweet Setlla rolled into the park ready to swing, slide, play, read some books and snuggle her Pooh Bear. It cannot get any better than that on a Saturday afternoon!

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Stack Family – Albuquerque Family Photography

Laura — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:18:07 +0000

A while back, you miiiiight remember a sneak peek I did for a cute little family that won my Facebook contest back in 2011. The sneak peek of their family session was a popular one too, and even one of my fave pictures too. Well, I’ll admit it. I slacked on posting their full session. Completely slacked. Sometimes it happens…

So, to rectify the situation, here we go! Little Colin gave me a run for my money – he is a BUSY little guy but oh so fun! He had just turned one so we celebrated with cake, balloons and a quick trip to the park. What’s not to love, right?

I adore doing family photography sessions, especially with kids. It’s unpredictable and can get a tad wild but it forces me to think on my toes and get some unpredictable shots, smiles and fun memories…

Albuquerque and Rio Rancho Family Photographer

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Sweet, Sweet Baby – Albuquerque Professional Children’s Photographer

Laura — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:08:33 +0000

Sneaky peeky time, for a mama I know is dying to see just one shot from our time together, in the Albuquerque Bosque. The Bosque one of my favorite places to do photography sessions of all types… The light can be golden and buttery, just perfect and ideal for a professional photographer! Children seem to love it as well, they can play, discover and burn off some energy as I work my lifestyle magic at the same time. Win win, right?

More will be up soon, on the blog, for Beth and Haley and the story behind why we got together and this gorgeous set-up we lugged to the Bosque (and that Beth cooked up!) for an extra special session!

Albuquerque and Rio Rancho Child Photographer

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Baby Toes – Albuquerque Baby Photographer

Laura — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:03:56 +0000

I recently met a sweet, sweet family that welcomed me into their home to meet, and photographer, their newborn daughter. As a professional photographer the biggest compliment I can get is this. A client seeing and loving my work, contacting me and hiring me… and standing on the other side of that door when I knock on it to do my job. A job I love and cherish.

I can be a tad random and scatterbrained…I’ll jump around from one thing to another, move angles and ask some rapid fire questions. Sometimes, I’ll step back and quietly let a family do their thing and I’ll capture the tiny, little details that I know, as a professional photographer and as a mama, that I want captured. The things that change and disappear so fast that THIS is the time to capture them. And that’s what I did. Captured tiny details, minutes of a live, memories.

Brown family, here’s a itty bitty sneak peek!

Albuquerque and Rio Rancho Newborn Photographer

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Local Love: Caked Cupcake Boutique – Albuquerque NM Photographer

Laura — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:00:49 +0000

This is the first of many new blog posts, and features, on local places I love! I hope you stay tuned to this series – if you’re a local, you might want to venture out of your comfort zone and try one of these places. As a fan far away, you might be encouraged to seek other local stores in your neighborhoods or just drool over my blog posts..who knows, but at the very least, I’ll get to introduce YOU to the places local to me that I dig. I love to support local and this is one way, I can spread the word on good local places.

I’ve always loved cupcakes. I have cupcake tea towels in my kitchen. I bake cupcakes for every birthday. It’s a semi-obsession (but I AM lacking the talent, trust me. You would not want to witness one of my cupcake messes!) so it was only fitting to begin the Local Love series with, you got it! A cupcake shop.

Meet Jammie, the owner, creative mind, baker, head honcho, and more of Caked Cupcake Boutique! I spent one morning with her and two of her (wild and silly) Caked ladies and they let me capture a morning of cupcake decorating, displaying, and more. I was astounded at how FAST they were at making these delectable little treats look AMAZING within a few mere moments on each one. It was fascinating! Along with the fun of me shooting and getting in their way? An interview, with Jammie herself. And some product shots of the absolutely delicious goodies I took home with me that day.

Ready to get Caked?! Feast your eyes…

LM: So you’re the owner of Caked, a Cupcake Boutique! Tell us about your business and what drew you to opening it?

J: Caked is a place to go to for all things cake! We specialize in gourmet cupcakes, special occasion cakes, wedding cakes, birthday cakes, you name it! We also make incredible, buttery sugar cookies, and various other desserts, as well, as gluten free cupcakes and cakes. We also do a little bit of vegan baking. Caked is recognized for it’s dedication to quality and freshness AND customer service, which is so important to me. Our cupcakes are made fresh daily, bright and early every morning. We don’t use box mixes or canned icings – it’s all from scratch. We take pride in our moist and flavorful cakes, and put a lot of effort into making the actual cake every bit as exciting as the icings and toppings. I had no choice but to open this bakery, it was an undying passion that would not leave me alone. I was restless for several years, wanting to start my own business. I tried talking myself out of it, as I new that business ownership would not be easy, would be stressful, and would require long hours and a great deal of sacrifice. Yet, I just couldn’t shake it! So, Caked was finally born on April 21, 2011!

LM: How long had you been baking before starting Caked?

J: I had been baking and decorating cakes as a hobby from my home for about 15 years or so, but only began getting really serious about it about 3 years before Caked opened. At that time, I began playing with recipes, tweaking them, and developing my own. I was self-taught in the area of cake decorating and had managed to acquire a strong skill set on my own. I made cakes for family, friends, and co-workers. I knew I should take some cake decorating classes to advance my skills, as you should never stop learning! I’m still learning, in fact!

LM: How did you pick the name?
J:I was drawn to business names that were single, descriptive words, not sure why. I liked the idea of a verb/adjective being the name for a business. And, it makes for a great slogan: Get Caked!

LM: How long was this a dream?

J: My dream of business ownership had been ongoing for about 10 years or so, prior to opening Caked, I just didn’t know what “it” was. About 5 years prior to opening Caked was when I found myself taking cake decorating classes, and a couple of years later, I think my goal to open a bakery began to flourish, whether I was fully aware of it or not. Prior to opening the bakery, I had a party-planning business called Occasions that I did in my spare time while also working a full-time job. I would provide the specialty cake, the cookie favors, and all the decor. I specialized in over-the-top, lavish children’s parties. But, it was entirely too difficult to take the party to the site, set it up, execute it, pack it up, then unpack it AGAIN once we were through! All that in addition to the baking, decorating, etc! It was grueling, it really was. I decided that I no longer wanted to take my business to others, but that I wanted a brick/mortar space where the public could come to me. And, I “knew” that cakes and all things celebration needed to be a part of my business concept, as that is where my passion was. So, when I didn’t really get it ‘right” with Occasions…I tried again with Caked!

LM: Who is your biggest support in this adventure?
J: My family, of course. And, my staff, they are hugely supportive and take a great deal of pride in Caked, the good work we do there, and they get just as excited as I do to see the bakery growing. My strong faith keeps me going, to be sure, especially on the long, hard days. My Creator is most definitely my biggest support, no question. going, to be sure, especially on the long, hard days.

LM: What did you do before this?

J: I worked in the field of medical insurance billing and practice management. I worked at Podiatry Associates of New Mexico for about 6 or 7 years. I was the Billing Manager for most of that time, and then eventually became the Practice Manager. I love business management! I also worked for Albuquerque Foot & Ankle while I was also running Occasions on the side. In my highschool and college years, I worked in restaurants and had a management background within that framework, as well. All of it has prepared me for Caked, but it’s also quite a different animal to manage someone else’s business as opposed to your own!

LM: Favorite part about Caked?

J: Making people happy! Seeing smiling faces is very rewarding, especially since I came from the medical field, where people oftentimes didn’t feel good or were in pain, etc, and not at their best. So, it’s nice to see smiling, happy faces each day in the bakery. Cupcakes, as a rule, just have that effect on people! It’s very rewarding! We get such a kick out of designing cakes that thrill our customers, too!

LM: What’s YOUR favorite flavor to eat? to bake?

J: I have Celiac disease, so I have to eat gluten free. As such, my favorite GF option is our Red Velvet – it’s soooo amazing! It took me a really long time to ‘get’ that recipe right, so I’m super proud of it. I also have an affinity for the GF brownie cupcake! As for baking, I like baking it all, the actual baking is very therapeutic somehow. My least favorite thing about my work, if I had to pick, would be that I am oftentimes covered in sticky icing!

LM: Most popular flavor?

J: Hmmm….I would have to go with the Red Velvet. It’s followed closely by Salted Caramel…and then I’d probably say Vanilla and the Oreo Cookie Cupcake. The Peanut Butter Brownie cupcake is really gaining momentum, though. And, our German Chocolate is to die for!
LM: Most unique request?

J: We get requests for cupcakes without icing once in a while, which always throws us for a loop! We had a wedding consultation recently for an oreo cookie wedding cake!

LM: Where do you get your inspiration for all the unique ideas you incorporate into Caked goodies?

J: Everywhere! I get inspired for cake decorations from clothing and stationary and even gift bags! Magazines, websites, blogs, customer suggestions…you name it!

Find them on Facebook or the internet and visit them in person – and show them some local love!

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Pretty Little Package – Albuquerque and Rio Rancho Professional Photographer

Laura — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 01:09:26 +0000

I always feel like I need a catchy title for a blog post. But I’ve read that you should keep them simple. And that conundrum alone is leaving me with an empty title at the moment… hopefully a bolt of genius strikes me before I have to hit the ‘post’ button.

Being a photographer in this digital age is…interesting. Everyone wants their images on disc, flash drive, instant download. I love it. As a consumer, I want mine digital too. As a photographer, I love being able to give clients what they want but I also love being able to offer custom print items to pair along with their digital images they (normally) archive. Whether it be wall prints, custom birth announcements or Save the Date cards, mini accordion albums or more, it’s just nice to know they’ll take something tangible away from our time together that they don’t have to worry about printing. I’m getting ahead of myself…

I wanted to show off a small sneak peek of my largest package, The Whole Shebang, all packaged up and headed to it’s newest home, the loving hands of my client. The goodies from the large collection are in the custom sewn (by your truly!), wrapped with yellow cotton ribbon, tied off with one of the hang tags I designed exactly for this purpose. On the right, you’ll see a stack of mini accordion albums bundled together with sweet baker’s twine. It all came together PERFECTLY and I couldn’t wait to show it off!

I’ll have to come back and showcase a few more of the items that I offer soon!

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A Girl and her Dogs – Albuquerque and Rio Rancho Pet Photographer

Laura — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 01:34:03 +0000

I’ve had people include their pets in their sessions but having an entire session revolve around their pets? Never had it. This was a first. A very, very welcome first.

Many of you know that I do volunteer work, offering my photography, to Watermelon Mountain Ranch – in hopes that some top notch photography of the pets and their true personalities will help the sweet animals there a better chance at finding their forever home. I grew up with pets, lots of them, and have done numerous types of volunteer work around pets. Heck, I practically have a zoo at my house now… except half of it’s human kids!

When Krystina called me wanting a session with her babies, I wanted to say, “ooooohhhh, heck yessssss!” but I was a little afraid I’d scare her off. Instead, she got a very professional response from me. LOL

We met at a local park, and played in the afternoon sunshine. Thankfully, the day before, the vet had good, positive and MUCH happier news about these two sweeties than they had gotten the week before. It was an even happier afternoon than we’d set out to have and that’s ALWAYS nice to share in those happy moments with clients.

If you’re on the fence about a session centered on your furry babies, don’t wait. Schedule it now and have some fun – you won’t regret it!

Below is one of my favorite images from the session. I think. I can’t seem to choose!

Eeeek, or is it this one?

Albuquerque and Rio Rancho Pet Photographer

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Girl Time – Albuquerque and Rio Rancho Child Photographer

Laura — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:47:15 +0000

Remember when I introduced you to my new “nephew” in his newborn session? While I was there, I couldn’t help but capture a few of sweetest Sophia, my goddaughter, and big sister to baby Dylan. We played, red books, climbed stairs, attempted potty training, shared snacks, watch cartoons… and much more in the 2 days we were at her house. Naturally, they need to be shared!

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