Kristin Merwin Photography

Behind the Scenes...

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Tue, 26 May 2015 00:41:00 +0000

So much to share.

And yet so very little being shown!

I have a fresh logo

a fun website coming

a new direction blooming

and so much to be excited about.

For now though, I've got my head down and working hard.

Stay Tuned....

Wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 05:11:00 +0000

Photo straight from my cell phone.

I'm remembering to capture our summer memories.

It doesn't have to be "perfect"

to be beautiful.

Twirls & Curls - Boutique Photography | phoenix portraiture

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 20:03:00 +0000

Sugar and Spice

and Everything Nice...

That's what this little girl is made of!

I could share dozens of dancing, posing, twirling, and grinning

portraits of this little angel.

But this will do for today.

My exciting new product line will showcase the delight of this precious 'lil lady and other beauties as well.

Stay tuned...

Sisters Make the Best Friends | phoenix portraiture

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 19:52:00 +0000

Far into the lovely orange groves,

we spread out an antique patchwork quilt,

some fluffy pillows and a handful of vintage books.

Add the gorgeous sisters

and you have my recipe for PERFECTION!

We captured secret-telling, giggles and sweet smiles.

"A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit,

a golden thread to the meaning of life"

-- Isadora James --

Band Promo Session- Drowning Olsyn

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 19:41:00 +0000

If you haven't heard of Drowning Olsyn,

you need to find them and prepare to be WOWed!

Songwriting, Music, and Production.

They do it all with excellence.

They're using the session photos for promotions and marketing-so I am only going

to give a tiny "sneak" peek :)

find Drowning Olsyn HERE:

Releasing "Love Lifted Me" CD

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:41:00 +0000

I know I've been MIA for quite some time on this blog.

Here's a bit of what's been occupying my time and attention...

Introducing,

my oldest daughter's first album!

7 original songs, written for her.

Plus a Bruce Springsteen cover song, "Rocky Ground".

It has been a labor of love and (much) learning- for sure.

Without diving into lots of unnecessary detail,

I will just say the music biz is not for the weak of heart.

Tough skin & a good instinct is a must.

Kayli began this album

when she was just 10 years old, after a Grammy-Award winning artist discovered her while she opened for a womens conference.

The rest, as they say...is history.

I'm super proud of my little girl, who seemed to turn into a young lady, right before my very eyes.

She didn't give up on her dream, neither did her persevering parents. Most importantly God closed the wrong doors and opened the "right" ones in His timing.

Thankful.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kaylimerwin

We're excited to announce that Kayli has a new CD coming out in June, a single, that involves a dynamic duo that I can't wait to tell you about!

STAYYYY TUNED!!

And buy her CD "Love Lifted Me" anywhere online

or HERE:

We appreciate all of the support and encouragement our family has received during this process, it is a huge boost for us, THANK YOU!

baby C - birthday portraiture

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 05:40:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to one of my favorite little girls,

Miss C.

You may remember her newborn session,

born 12-12-12

She follows behind four older brothers (who are equally awesome).

As you may imagine,

this little girl...

she is "kind of a big deal"

We had fun playing with miss C in

a little reserved "wonderland" in the groves.

A perfect place to

keep the focus of one beautiful little lady,

who is turning ONE.

I had to get a shot

of momma here as we all know this is "real life"

with a busy baby :)

Happy birthday sweet girl,

you're loved and adored by many.

You were worth the wait.

"And though she be but little,

she is fierce"

William Shakespeare

it's the best time of the year...

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 04:21:00 +0000

I ask you...

how do you not provide

"picture perfect" Christmas photos

with clients that look like these?

let's not fool ourselves,
It's difficult to find a "holiday" backdrop in the desert.

So we pack up some festive props

and head for the local orange groves.

Capturing

some backlighting, smiles,

and memorable fun.

Hope your holiday season is gearing up to be
the best yet!

"play and make good cheer for Christmas comes but once a year"

unknown

The R. Family

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 19:35:00 +0000

Tons of cute faces, up ahead...

These darlings are part of a big, loving, wild, FUN family!

And I can say that with all certainty

as they're MY family...

These superhero parents

are raising some kids into pretty awesome people.

My beautiful sister below,

AKA Supermom

This sign is perched in their beautiful home and we grabbed it on our way out the door,

knowing we could do something fun with it!

"Cherish these moments,
as that's what memories are made of"

unknown.

Love and miss you all...

The V. sisters

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 00:41:00 +0000

These are 3 beauties that are among my favorite to photograph...

One look at them and you can see why!

I'm a light chaser and although we had some delays on getting those rays,

these sisters are a dream to photograph

and make any session a breeze.

...even in 105* degree Phoenix summer temps

"life is too short to be anything but happy"

unknown

Back to School Portraiture - phoenix custom photography

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 21:19:00 +0000

It's that time of year again...

Sharpened no. 2 pencils & crisp new tablets

back to school shopping

fresh haircuts

and new routines, bursting with opportunities

Yes,

it's saying goodbye to carefree late nights

and hello to structure and schedules.

We had fun sweating it out in these late summer portraits,

complete with some impromptu secret telling and giggles...

hard to believe

our new school year has arrived

we soaked up every bit of leisure we could from summer

and we're ready for what waits ahead.

"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us"

wilma rudolph

7.4.13

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 16:09:00 +0000

Happy Birthday, America!

We are celebrating you with a day of hometown activities:

sand castle competitions, music, street party, ending with fireworks by the lake.

We're thankful to live in this great nation.

And salute those who protect our freedom.

God Bless America!

Wishing you a safe & happy 4th,
from my family to yours.

Miss G / jr high tween photography - phoenix

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 20:01:00 +0000

This session was promised long ago to a sweet girl.

When she was entering junior high,

we'd schedule that special session just for her...

And it doesn't seem possible that the time for junior high is here?

But I know this beautiful, smart, funny girl will shine brightly in her new school.

I'm excited to watch her bloom.

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings".
Hodding Carter

The B. family - Phoenix custom portraiture

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:24:00 +0000

We interrupt this blog hiatus to bring you a quick,

fun session in the sunny grove stands of the local orchard.

I don't think families get any cuter than this...

agree?

Beautiful mom and daughter...

The weather was a balmy 88 degrees this day

but even dad was a good sport about the session :)

It's safe to say

baby M. has captured the hearts of his family

{including mine}

Mom had a cute idea for the evening -so we threw some props together,

moments before we started our session:

Brothers
for
Sale:

priceless.

Lucky parents who have fine children usually have lucky children
who have fine parents.
-James A. Brewer

Miss S | phoenix tween portraiture

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:39:00 +0000

This session was part of my niece's Christmas present-

Being the kind & generous girl she is, she requested her cousins be included in on her portrait session.

Enter four excited girls !

They planned their outfits, start to finish

I took these lovely ladies downtown,

in search of crumbling buildings and fun backdrops.

I love watching them together,

the giggles in full swing-as always.

I explained to them how we look for that buttery light in sessions,

and we chase it.

They picked up quickly and offered up their own

posing & ideas.

I have more photos to add to this session. Unfortunately, I'm having major photoshop issues,

so I may just add to this post when issues are resolved.

Hope your new year is off to a fabulous start!

F. Maternity mini.session PHX portraiture

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:37:00 +0000

I have "back sessions" to post,

here's one of many!

"come on out sister,

we're all waiting for you"!

Happy 2013

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 22:51:00 +0000

a new year.

a fresh slate.

jan 01

I'm not currently taking new appointments,

but I do have some fresh, fun portrait sessions to post to the blog.

...stay tuned!

Miss C | Phoenix newborn portraits

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 04:59:00 +0000

'Tis the season!

...for deliveries

of precious, beautiful babies.

Born

12-12-12

She is a gift to all who have waited for her,

Including four big brothers

and two amazing parents.

Any bets baby C will not be dating in the next couple decades?

...Anyone?

I could barely wait to meet this precious girl.

She is the icing on the cake for this family.

As part of your Fan Club,

we're all just so happy you're here, sweet girl.

Welcome to the World.

"She knew that she was formed by God's hands,

dreamed up in His heart,

and put in this world for a Purpose."

-Psalms

The M. twins | phx portraiture

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:27:00 +0000

prepare yourself.

unbelievably cute identical twins,

sharing cuddles & smiles.

Miracle babies

who wouldn't be here today without great doctors, heaps of prayer and incredible parents.

They've been featured in publications and news articles

for their journey through in utero laser surgery and amnio reduction due to Twin Twin Transfusion Syndrome.

Looking at these gorgeous babies, you'd never know the walk they've been through, arriving to where they are now. Healthy, active, smart little girls.

I truly laughed when I uploaded the above photo.

THIS is definitely another dimension of sisterly love- and I just couldn't delete it!

We captured both girls

in their momma's shoes = priceless.

The magic of childhood through my lens.

Two little blessings,

sent from above.

twice the smiles,

twice the love.

-unknown.

Fall/Winter Sessions 2012

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 04:09:00 +0000

I apologize for the lack of communication in the last couple weeks with client's inquiries on future session dates available, information, ect.

I was quick to respond to incoming texts and emails but I'm still behind on returning voicemails.

I figured it would be most be most time-effective to post here on the blog that I am not taking any more sessions until further notice.

I have a very exciting and unique project that will be taking up any and all "extra" time that I once carved out for my photography.

Stay tuned for all the juicy details =)

and

keep watching for the last of my 2012 sessions to be posted.

Next one up, identical twin girls that are absolutely adorable

and will bring a smile to anyone's day!

the M brothers | custom PHX portraiture

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:05:00 +0000

The relationship

between brothers.

it makes me laugh, shake my head

in exasperation, but mostly

makes me thankful.

they fight, they cuddle, they push, they unite, they yell, they love.
sometimes in a matter of minutes.

they are defense attorneys for the other,

do not mess with the brother.

if there is beating up to do, they'll be the only ones authorized to bring the heat.

outsiders need not apply.

their budding relationship is fun to watch. they are often reminded that
no matter what happens in this life,
they will always have

their brother-their best friend.

and yes, the reminder often comes in the midst of a screaming wrestling brawl.
but that's okay.

The M Family | Phx portraiture

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:25:00 +0000

Look at these handsome guys...

living among

a whole swarm of beautiful girls :)

five beautiful children.

one awesome family.
(and I'm not just saying that because they're mine)

Mr. S sure loves his baby sister

and it's obvious the whole

family is smitten with her as well.

"Being a part of a family means you are a part of

something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life.

No matter what".

author unknown.

Baby L | phoenix newborn portraiture

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:33:00 +0000

Precious baby boy.

I was editing these photos, thinking how absolutely miraculous a brand new baby is.

Baby L.

is an absolute doll -

and perfection, head to toe.

This 'lil guy holds the record for strength in my books.

I couldn't believe how he would pick his head up off the floor and look around. I have never had that happen with a newborn, days old.

I texted his momma yesterday and asked if baby L. was hitting the gym yet to lift weights.

It won't be long (:

'lil L. comes from an Irish family, rich with culture.

So we did incorporate a few Irish trinkets his momma brought along-including this Irish drum.

Sweet 'lil boy.

We opened up the Word to scripture that so clearly explains the miracle that you are and the joy that your life brings. May you always know the how truly loved & cherished you are.

Before you were born,

we dreamed of you, we imagined you

we prayed for you.

Now that you are here,

we hope for you, we love you,

we Thank God for you.

...girls rock.

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Sun, 27 May 2012 20:35:00 +0000

a last minute BBQ with friends

led to an impromptu

photo shoot with my girls and their darling friend, miss R.

These darlings planned out their entire session= attire, props, location.

and they know it takes very little to rope their momma into getting her camera out =)

...I so wish I could

post all the pics but I've got some unbelievably slow

internet these days- so this will have to do.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Baby A | Phx newborn portraiture

noreply@blogger.com (OUR WILD ZOO!) — Sat, 05 May 2012 14:18:00 +0000

Precious baby alert:

She is a long anticipated, abundantly loved baby girl.

She holds the record (or her momma does) in my photog biz for

having a newborn session booked the furthest in advance

...one and a half+ years before she arrived into the world.

Yes, I told you she was "much anticipated"...

This little bundle of delight is perfect in every way.

She was certainly worth the wait.

My studio will be back up and running in the fall,

but for now, we found plenty of backdrops and spacious lighting for our session.

"Before you were conceived
I wanted you
Before you were born
I loved you
Before you were here an hour
I would give my life for you

This is the miracle of life."

-maureen hawkins-