Congrats 2016 Graduates!

It's that time of year again! A time when we honor our graduates. May they be the littlest of preschoolers or this gorgeous University graduate I recently photographed. All deserve to be celebrated for their hard work and commitment. 

I will admit, looking back, I took my graduation for granted. Maybe because I felt like going to college was "the norm." Maybe I didn't value my degree because my parents paid for it. I didn't feel like I deserved to be celebrated. I didn't feel accomplished.

But I was wrong. Getting a University degree is a privilege! In many countries, girls like myself never get educated let alone have an opportunity to attend a University.  Many parents do not support their children or have the money to pay for their college degrees. A degree represents my dedication and commitment. I may not be using my "International Business" degree by working in a huge corporation but many of the skills I acquired in school help me tremendously with my own photography business.  All the late nights studying, internships, studying abroad made me the hard working and determined person you see today. Not to mention all the relationships and friendships that are still with me today!

Meet Elaf! She is a foreign exchange student from Saudi Aurabia who graduated with a undergraduate degree in Communications from University of Colorado in Colorado Springs {UCCS}. As her photographer, I was able to experience a University graduation ceremony all over again. This time I was able to see how lucky and blessed I was to also have had this experience. I loved seeing how proud her family and friends were of her. Especially her parents who flew in to see her graduate!  Traveling across the world to a country very different from her own and earning a University degree is no easy task and I am proud to have been part of her day. 

Congratulations Elaf. Nothing but the best to you and all the success your future holds. Here are some of my favorites from her day!

Micah's smash cake!

Yay! Its finally Spring weather and I am a busy photographer bee and loving all the moments I am capturing. Recently I photographed a smash cake session for Sir Micah's first birthday! Then we walked around Rock Ledge Ranch and got a few more family photos.

Michaela and Andrew are young, beautiful and oh so in love.  They just adore their sweet baby. Michaela put so much thought into this session! The banner, the dapper onesie Micah is wearing during his family portraits are all her creative work! They also invited grandma who was the best photography assistant I have had. All these Micah smiles are all thanks to her! I was happy we were able to get a few photos of her and, as she calls him ,"my favorite person." She has a beautiful voice and together we were singing Adelle and dancing and doing whatever it took to make this like guy happy! He was ready for a nap, but came through with the loveliest of smiles and it was all thanks to her!  Grandparents are great to bring to sessions, they are always there to help and it is so important to get them in the frame as well. Micah will treasure these photos with Grandma when he is older.

So mom, being a good mom that she is, has never given Micah sugar in the past. When we placed this huge cake in front of him, he had no idea what to do with it. A few bites here and there and he was pretty much done, not impressed with all the sweetness placed in front of him. We had to get creative and smear some cake on his face and legs!. He eventually dug in and had a few bites, but was much more looking forward to nursing! 

Happy 1st Birthday "Scoots"! You are lucky to have such caring and loving people around you. :) Here are my favorites from his session.  

Introducing Miss. Mirabelle

Mirabelle! Don't you just love the name? She is so sweet and loved by her big brother and sister. My goal with newborn session is to document your time together, cuddling with your precious new addition. I want to tell a story as you hold your new baby in your arms, sit close as a family and enjoy each others company. I want to capture your baby in things that are special to you and your family! Photos of baby snuggled in the blanket that grandma made, sleeping with the sweet toy Auntie gifted, or wearing the lovely outfit you handmade yourself. These are the memories I want to leave you with. 

Sheri is a stay at home momma to now three beautiful kiddos (Avi'ella, Westin and Mirabelle) and her husband Jonathan is a firefighter at the Cripple Creek fire dept! Sheri has impeccable taste and her home is decorated so beautifully in rustic - chic design, you can tell she carefully chose every piece in the home. She also dressed her family perfectly for a newborn session. Neutral and light color clothing really added the softness and a little bit of whimsy. 

Even with two littles under 4 and an infant, I sensed such a feeling of tranquility in their home. Dad read the kids stories while Sheri and I took some photos of her and Mira. He then took Westin to prepare lunch while Avi joined us for a few pics with her new sissy. She loves being a big sister and is so motherly with Mira. Then we brought brother in and dad for a few family photos. They are a calm and soft spoken family and you really feel the comfort they share with each other and how loved and welcomed Mirabelle is to their family. 

Mirabelle was born in her home and I feel like a lifestyle sessions was the perfect idea for them. I think this session really captures this season of their lives.  These photos are organic, and natural. They show the beauty of their home and all the love that is in it. I am thankful that they shared their home and time with me. Here are a few of my favorites from their newborn session.

A sweet maternity session

A few weeks ago I had the loveliest time with these two love birds! Ashly and Brad are both Colorado natives, and recently moved from Fort Collins to be closer to Brad's work. We captured some portraits of them in their gorgeous nursery and then did a few outdoor photos as well.

The love is felt easily between them. The way Brad would look at Ashly while I posed her. The thoughtfulness he put into decorating the nursery all on his own. The way Ashly melted in his arms during the couple poses. Oh I left the session feeling all gooey inside! I just love my job and the wonderful people I meet.  It is a true honor to share and document their stories. 

They are expecting a baby girl they have named Charlie. She is the luckiest to have this gorgeous nursery to come home to and to have them to call Mom and Dad!  Not to mention, both are Shel Silverstein fans so I know she will be well versed in children's literature! Once we were done with the nursery we explored outside their home. We took a short hike up the hill across the street and were so blessed to get these views! Here are my favorites from their session. 

A Carnival Extravaganza

Birthday parties! They are so fun to photograph. Everyone is happy! Families and friends are together and, well, it's a joyous time! I am sucker for joyous times!  Best of all, mom and dad get in the pictures and get to enjoy the party stress free, knowing that all the best moments will be captured!

These folks know how to party! A fun filled carnival themed bash full of yummy carnival food, balloon animals, face painters and a bounce house! Did I mention they had an ice cream truck (yes with music) drive by to deliver ice cream for all the kiddos too? Yes!!! So much thoughtfulness and details went into this party and I am so happy that I got to document it all!

Below are some of my faves from the day. Sir. Kingston and his cousin Miss. Kay were celebrating their 7th and 10th birthdays together. They may be cousins but you could sense they are more like brother and sister. Sharing this wonderful party together is surely a memory they will treasure! 

A challenge for Mother's Day.

In 20 years from now when your kiddos are looking through the photos of their childhood what are they going to see?

Digital cell phone pictures of them as they scroll through hard drives and memory cards? Portraits from school picture day? Maybe a few family photos of everyone looking and smiling at the camera in their Sunday best? Those photos are good to have, but do they really show your family's true personalities? Do they truly document your time together and the bond you share with each other? Most importantly, are YOU in the photos at all? 

I get it! Almost everyone today has a nice camera. Even cell phones are producing amazing quality images. Selfies are great but they don't capture the real you, FULLY.  As a professional photographer, I strive to capture authenticity. The moment when you and your kids are at ease, comfortable in each other's company. That is the moment that is so difficult to capture yourself. These are the moments I am so passionate about getting for you. These are the images I want your kids to look at 20 years from now. Printed in a gorgeous album for them to see and pass down to their kids. That is what professional photography is all about. 

With mother's day coming up, I am challenging myself to allow someone else to photograph me. Photograph me alone and with my children. I want each one of my kiddos to have a photo of themselves with their mom. These photos I think will be treasured the most once they are older. Once I am no longer here. I challenge you to do the same.

Grab your kiddos and lets go get some ice cream. Or maybe some cotton candy! Lets get our nails done or go on a hike. Maybe some retail therapy? Whatever it is you enjoy doing with your children, let me capture these moments for you! Your kiddos will thank you some day. 

Hello!

I am so excited to finally have a webpage and a blog for Photography by Milana. Here, I will be blogging my recent sessions, personal experiences, adventures with my three littles, promotions as well as photos from my personal work. 

If you have a second please {LIKE} my Facebook Business page, and follow me on Instagram.  I love to use my Instagram to post photos I take with my iPhone and document my day to day. Getting to know you as a client is my passion. I am genuinely interested in who you are and my goal is to capture the real you with my camera. I believe it helps my clients relax if they get to know a little bit about me and I accomplish this with my Insta account. 

Here is my latest image on Instagram. It was taken with my iPhone 6 and LifeProof waterproof cover. It really came to life in post processing! My littles and I love spending Saturday afternoons swimming at the Y and we have fun taken photos underwater.