Emery Vale

To celebrate the birth of of Emery the Reitz family had fireworks. Ok it was July 4th but still, what a way to bring a new baby to the world! We were excited to see baby Emery and enjoy working with all three of them now. Also, Desiree after over two years finally went had her hair done, she had Megan do her hair and it looks really cool. Megan works at Skin Bliss in old town give 'em a call, I'll post the number when I can find it! Anyway, congratulations you two, and regardless of how it might feel sometimes, you will both make great parents!!

CHRISTMAS CARDS, and Chanukah , Kwanza , Hijra , Bodhi Day , Eid al Adha, Gantan-sai, Winter Solstice, and whatever other custom cards ya want

YES! It is time again, for our super spectaculus, ultra stupendable, amazingly amazing, fun family fotos with cool custom cards pre holiday non procrastinative sessions! , Less overthetoply known as our:
'Christmas in September Sessions.'


Now is the best time to get your family in for our special sessions. With the perfect amount of time to have our custom designed cards sent out for the holidays.
We have designed a nice little package that give you what you need to make sure the Aunt Mary, doesn't out do you again this year!
We have the photo session either in studio or on location, a mounted 8x10 print of the family ready for framing, and 25 custom designed greeting cards. We do have a few set templates to choose from or we design the cards specifically for your family. When you are getting all of the cookie cutter Walmart style cards, you will be un-heathily proud knowing that your custom cards are the coolest going out this year.
(although our cards do cause an overwhelming sense of pride we do not encourage a boastful attitude, especially during the holiday, it can cause people to not want to send you presents!)
Anyway, don't be left with your only option being the 1 hour photolab Christmas card special.
Call us now and book your session for only $199.00. Again, it comes with the session the 8x10 and 25 custom designed holiday cards.
here are a few samples of some of our holiday cards, engagement cards, and baby announcements.

Here is a save the date card

save the date back

These next images are from birth announcements






here are a few holiday cards some show the front followed by the back of the card!

Kids Rule Our Lives (go star wars)

While on 'Star Wars Line' we came accross this little do dad so we followed the links and it posted to our blog! cool!!

Happy 10th Anniversary!

Michael & Carrie were recently referred to us by some other great clients, they wanted to have pictures of the 2 of them sans the 9 kids. No, it's not a typo, they have nine wonderful children!! They wanted some romantic images to celebrate 10 happy years of marriage. So early one morning we met at one of our favorite locations to photograph them. They were so sweet to each other , Michael even presented Carrie with some roses during the shoot (which is so fitting as he is often picking flowers to give Carrie when they go for walks). Thanks guys for reminding us how great it is to be in love, even after all those years! Happy Anniversary.
On another note, thanks to the Vangilst/Ferguson family who referred them to us, it's such a great compliment for people that we work with to trust us with their friends and family!

Back in the studio

After a week of traveling, a bridal show, and finishing up the 94 rock calendar shoot (the cars and DJs) we are finally back in the studio. We will be going through emails and voice mails today and tomorrow and getting back with everyone! If you tried to leave us a message and the mailbox was full, Sorry! When I got in this morning I noticed that it was full. not sure for how long though......

Also we are getting ready for our holiday cards sessions. In order to ensure that your exclusive custom designed (j) holiday cards are ready in time for this holiday season, it is time to start scheduling your sessions!
We look forward to seeing many of you again that do this every year and meeting all the new families coming to us for the first time!

As requested!

We had a request to have this images posted! And because we are such loving, kind, generous, accommodating, helpful, etc., etc. folks, it is our pleasure to fill this request! If anyone would like to see any other images posted just let us know! There will however be a $99.00 convenience charge, which can be billed directly...
Seriously though, it is our pleasure to help out wherever we can!

(hope this is the one you mean!!)

fall 08 wedding design

The day after we got in from vacation we were at the fall Wedding Design. We had a great time and were able to meet many new brides and a few new couples (good job guys, the 5 of you that were there) Anyway, we look forward to talking more with those that attended and look forward to the next show!
Good luck planning!

In the footsteps of a master.

Ansel Adams is arguably one of the greatest American photographers ever. I would argue he was the greatest landscape photographer ever. Though i do enjoy the work of current Aussie Photographer peter eastway.
Anyway, Desiree and I had an amazing experience this past week. On our way home from Lake Tahoe, we decided to drive home via Yosemite national park. The awesome beauty of which has been shown around the world through the work of Ansel Adams. Though we had only a few hours to drive through the park, it was something we would do again if only for a few minutes. We are really hoping to go back and make a real vacation out of it. We want to hike the hikes that many photographers have hiked with their big field cameras in tow. We want to see the scenes that inspired national parks.
Next time you are in California and have a day, consider going a little out of your way to take in the beauty we are surrounded with. And you can also play 'guess that language.' Most of the people we saw were from other countries, coming here to take in the beauty of America.


This image was taken on the way into Yosemite Valley. Desiree jumped out of the car as I pulled over on a little tiny shoulder hopeing not to get hit by a car!! ...about 50 yards downs the road was a pull out... oh well, the view was amazing!

Above yosemite valley are a number of little lakes. This lake was right off the road. I had just stopped on the road and got out to take some pictures. After we got back in the car and drove to the couth end of the lake, Desiree had me stop again and walk out to a quiet point of the lake. The pictures from this spot are so much better than the others. Two lessons, always listen to your wife, second lesson; look at things a little differently sometimes.

Yes, this is the typical image of Yosemite valley... but really, a view like this, one can't not stop and take the picture!!

This was Desiree again seeing things differently, she not only saw the mighty mountain but contrast of the fragility of the ferns at her feet...

This was done on the way into Yosemite. It is an amazing overlook that looks down into the valley. It is an amazing view, if you get a chance to go to Yosemite, take the extra hour and a half to drive to the top, you won't regret it!

Life Stories

Each of us has a story to tell. A story of love, a story a laughter, a story or tragedy. Our stories are told through how we live our lives.
The eyes of a great-great-grandmother have seen the birth of three generations, her wrinkles have formed through years of experience. Her feet have danced at the weddings of her daughters and granddaughters. Her hands have wiped the tears off her daughters face, at the side of her granddaughters grave. She will also soon pass through the veil. Her story though, will not be forgotten, it will be told in the laughs of the children that came through her, through the smiles of her great granddaughters looking into the eyes of their husbands as they promise their lives to each other.
We do each have stories to tell, lives to live, and people to love. Desiree and I help tell the stories of peoples lives everyday. We capture the love, the life, the history. We help you tell your story though the art of photography.
What is your story?

just us

Many people have made many quotes about many places accross the country. Mark Twain, Hemmingway, me... Anyway, they speak of the beauty and splendor of a place. I think they have to come up with great poetic ways to describe places because they weren't able to turn to the person next to them. look into their eyes and just share that moment. Desiree and I took a walk around an amazing place yesterday, Sand harbour, lake tahoe, NV. The beauty was all that has been described by numerous poets and artists. More amazing than the beauty of the place was that we were able to share that together- holding hands, kissing, and being surrounded inside and out beauty. Though our walk lasted only a half an hour or so and resulted in crazy sunburns on our feet, we will not soon forget it. We also went back to the beach where the rest of the family was and brought them over to see it. And we had Desiree's dad take a picture of us. He did a pretty fair job! Thanks Gregg!

Accident prone

Those who know us usually know our boys. For those who don't, we have three boys. Kimball the oldest is 9, Ammon is 7, and Kelsyn is 4. They are 100% boy. They run, play soccer, fight, get into things they shouldn't be in to.... And whatever else young boys do.
We celebrated Ammons 7th bday this month and took him and some friends to a new party jump place in ABQ. It was great, there were two huge rooms full of inflatable obstacle courses, jumpers, slides, etc.
Everything was going well until Ammon jumped off of the end of the slide and landed wrong on his tail bone. I got to him just as he was trying to get up. We had the wind knocked out of him and just as he was trying to catch his breath, he had a seizure. Holy scary! he came to soon after and seemed to be ok, we still took him in and the dr. did a CAT scan. Ammon, being a huge star wars fan, thought that having this cool thing take pictures of his head was pretty awesome. Anyway he was fine, the seizure was a result of the pain and shock to the body.
So two weeks later (the day Clone Wars came out) we were at a park in Las Vegas, NV playing with the kids. It was a cool park with some water features to take the edge off the 107 degree sunshine. Ammon had just come from running through some spraying water thing and went right to the monkey bars, wet hands and all. I was about six step from him and he was 5 feet off the ground and half way across the bars when he lost his grip and fell right down on his arm.
he was definitely in pain and I knew something was wrong but I wasn't sure if he has broken it. We got back to the house gave him some ibuprofen, and got him some ice. We watched for swelling and after about an hour, his wrist started to swell and he could not rotate it show us where it was swollen. A quick trip (again) to urgent care and an X-ray later, ammon has his first broken arm and the first of the boys. The most devastating part of the whole experience was that we were not able to see Clone Wars on opening day. We did go to the first show the next morning. We are on our way today to the orthopedist here is lake tahoe to have it casted!

Calendar Shoot 2009

We wrapped up shooting the models for the 2009 66 casino 94 rock calendar. We still have the djs to shoot on monday, which we are really looking forward to.
There were several other people onsite w/cameras doing behind the scenes type of stuff. This image was one that Desiree did on the last set of the last day of the shoot. We were in KIXX nightclub at the casino, we had smoke, lights, music, it(and a chocolate shake from Johnny Rocket's) was a pretty descent way to wrap up the 3 day shoot!

a few clicks down the street

As large as the world is, there are times when it's expanse can be measured inside of a few inches. So it is with Adam and Alex. His family from the greater London area, her family from Mexico - who would have guessed they would meet in a small hostel in post Katrina New Orleans.
Though I have probably mentioned this in previous blogs it warrants a few more words; Desiree and I have such an amazing opportunity. We are able to meet, work with, and experience the diversity of the lives of so many people. We see the love, shared amongst friends and family, span the distance between countries. We see the joy in faces of those who have been moved by this love.
We watch two families, previously unknown to the other, come together as one.
We see so much in the course of our life and work. It makes us again so thankful for the path we have been led down.
As for this shoot with Adam and Alex, we enjoyed being able to take time out of the world to stop enjoy their relationship. I will try to get a few of they wedding images up soon!

We started our shoot at the ABQ transit center. Fitting, I think.



When Alex mentioned this cute pink dress that she was going to wear, we had a vision of this image. I love the way it came out!

This is who they are!

Desiree did this shot with another couple and I really loved it and thought it would work great with Adam and Alex.

Just a little something fun





This is another image I had in my head. I didn't envision sprinting up six flights of stairs to get this shot... but, whatever it takes!

Catching up......

Yes we have been too busy. When we haven't enough time to post new blogs in three weeks....
Here are a few things that we have been working on recently. i have a few more that i want to get up in the next day or two. Stay tuned!!!


Here are a few more from a previous post. A totally fun couple, Malynda and Ian in Lake Tahoe!










Here are a few wedding image from Brittany and Randy. Hyatt Tamaya
provided the beautiful setting for their wedding.








One of our favorite clients came in for a surprise session for her husband
We had a great time shooting these. Don't tell anyone you saw these, it;s still a surprise... for another month or so anyway!!











Malynda and Ian had a reception here in town that was a lot of fun for all that were able to make it. We set up a backdrop and light and let people come through to do some fun pictures of them. We had a great time and love the images we got.












Phillip and Danielle were married a few weeks ago and for the honeymoon
they drove up to the NW coast where he is assigned (marines) and they are making their new home!








Dan and Amanda were also married a few weeks ago. Their reception was at the Unser
racing museum. What a cool place, all the girls can do receptiony things and the guys can look at cars! Smart way to go!! so these images are a bit out of order but you get the idea.