Tag: Family

portrait photography, Engagement Session, Maternity Session

Deron and Nikki: Surprise!

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Nikki and Deron-1Nikki and Deron-2Nikki and Deron-3Nikki and Deron-4Nikki and Deron-5Nikki and Deron-6

Am I the luckiest photographer or what? This session was scheduled as a maternity shoot and turned into an engagement shoot as well! I was so honored to have been able to capture this for them!

Deron and Nikki had a mutual friend that they met through in 2015 and something sparked. They began dating shortly after they met and a few months after that, introduced their kids to each other. They loved taking trips together to blend their family. In late 2017, they found out they were adding to that family! They are due in  July!

Deron wanted an intimate setting for his proposal and when Nikki’s friend Bri mentioned how awesome it would be to propose at the maternity shoot so it could be captured on film, Deron was all in! With a little planning, it went off without a hitch! And by the looks of the photos, she was surprised and so happy! Nikki and Deron-7Nikki and Deron-8Nikki and Deron-9Nikki and Deron-10Nikki and Deron-11Nikki and Deron-12Nikki and Deron-13

With the birth of Zai Armani, they will complete their family and start a beautiful life together!

I was SO happy that Nikki wore maternity gowns! She looked stunning! I highly recommend treating yourself to pampering and feeling beautiful with your baby bump!

Congratulations to the happy couple and may your lives be blessed forever!

Stay tuned for Baby Zai!

 

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Family, portrait photography

L Family

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Becoming a blended family is not an easy task. I have a blended family of my own and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  It requires a lot of patience, love, and guidance from God. When a couple starts out their relationship with children, they do not get the full “courtship” that they would without. They may get a date here and a date there. The anxiety of introducing the kids is hard enough, then hoping they all get along. Dates become family gatherings with the hopes of a kiss or two in between. The love is usually pretty immense with a second marriage because it’s not only love for one another, it’s love for each others children as well. A blended relationship works backwards too. The family starts first. Watching them grow up and go off to college, then the alone time begins. There are challenges along the way and many bumps in the road, but the end result is totally worth it.

Joanna met Tom at work. He had come into the office she worked at for computer reasons and asked her on a date. They had a wonderful time and Tom knew after the first date he wanted to marry her.

Tom had a beautiful proposal set up. A romantic evening for two. The babysitter was set, the dinner reservations were made, they were all dressed up. Tom was sweating, though. They were on their way to dinner and there was one thing missing, the ring. When he received the call, finally, that the ring was finished it was better late than never. Since Tom had Joanna in the car, he took her in the jewelry store and proposed to her right there! Proposals like these always make the best stories!

They ended up getting married 2 and a half years later with a small intimate gathering of family and friends to celebrate their life journey. A year has gone by and they are still in the “honeymoon” phase. They are handling a blended family beautifully and are looking forward to many years of lasting memories!

If you add in their “blended dogs” to the family, they are a modern day Brady bunch! Together they have 5 kids and 3 dogs! The kids are 15, 13, 12, 10 and 8. The awesome part is that they all get along! Maybe too well because they bicker and argue like real siblings too! Which is truly what a blended couple pray for every day. During our photo session, I could see the happiness from mom and dad and the kids! They are truly a happily blended family!

I wish this family all the joy life will bring them and all that God will bless them with!

Engagement Session

Robert & Kelly

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This engagement session was absolutely beautiful. These two will say I do later this fall and I am honored to be their photographer for their big day!

I have known Robert and his family for many years now. In fact, Robert was one of my senior sessions almost 6 years ago now! I was also there to get photos for his junior and senior prom! Kelly was also in those junior and senior prom photos with a different date!

Kelly and Robert were best friends in high school. They maintained their friendship after they graduated and ended up falling in love. You can totally feel the connection they have when you are in their presence.  They wanted that to come through in their photos as well.

The session was amazing! Every shot was better than the first! Their emotion in every image is so energizing. As we walked around the location, Kelly spotted a rock in the shape of a heart! Too cute, right? I made sure to capture every image they were looking for. They were overjoyed with the finished product!

Check out my testimonial page to see how Kelly felt about her engagement session!

High School Senior Photography

Kaycee

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I’m sure by now everyone knows who my kids are! This one is my senior this year! Fun fact: She does not like taking pictures that much! She was the reason I started photography! I was the typical mom having her first baby and wanting to capture every second of her life! She was like my real life Barbie doll. I would put her in all different outfits and take pictures of her.

You see, my husband and I have his, hers, and ours. Kaycee and I met Kylee when she was 6 and at that time Kaycee was 2. That was in 2002. Then, Clint and I were married in 2003 and had Maddie in 2004. From then on, I had 3 gorgeous models that I could photograph any time I wanted! If I was searching for a new location, I would tell them to dress up and we would have a photo shoot! (that would actually be a fun post to share! The girls would probably kill me!)

Anyways, Kaycee is the one that will give me 30 minutes and then be done. But she is also a huge supporter of my photography! So of course, it’s not just one senior session. I have to split them up into 30 minute sessions! LOL This being the first. Her boyfriend was in this shoot which will be a later post!

Ok, I am rambling! Kaycee is one of the strongest kids I have ever known. She has a deep routed passion for Christ and centers her life around Him. She knows that He has huge plans for her and is so ready for the next adventure, NAU! She will be moving to Flagstaff in the fall and I am so proud of her. She is definitely the type of girl that really doesn’t know how beautiful she is!

portrait photography

Happy New Year!!!

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2018! WOW! Happy New Year everyone!! And welcome to the Re-Grand Opening of Tammy Zelez Photography! Packed with new website, logo, creativity, style and branding! I am so glad you are here! Join me on my adventure!

I have branded myself as a senior photographer for many years and I have loved every moment and every senior that has come my way. I wanted to branch out into more of a portrait photographer to continue to grow with my clients! Seniors that I have photographed in the past  have called me to capture their couples sessions, or their weddings and it has made me so thrilled! I have also had businesses that I partner with request past seniors of mine to be models for them such as custom wedding gowns and vivid hair creations.  So I thought, why not extend my photography to enhance those sessions. So here I am in my adventure to show more of what I can do!

Moving forward into 2018, my goal is to show more of a creative side of me that I feel I have held back. Not because I am afraid but more of not taking the time to reinvent myself. So often I feel rushed from everyday life. Being a mom and a wife are my first priorities and I have to remind myself that I need time too. Photography is my passion! I never want it to feel like a job. I want to know each of my clients on a personal level so that when their final product is delivered, they see the magnitude of their true character shine through!

I don’t want to be a one time photographer! I pride myself on repeat clients! I have families that I have watched grow up through the years and it is an incredible feeling of sheer gratitude when I get the call each year!

I have always loved editorial photography. When a senior or a couple want to incorporate their passion or an era into their sessions, that is when my creativity flourishes! My goal in 2018 is to bring more of that to my portrait sessions. I think it really tells a story of the client that again brings life to each image.

Lastly, I love to write! I may not be great at it but it’s exciting and challenging! It is another opportunity to express myself and add more depth to who I am as a photographer and person for future clients.

I appreciate all of my fans for the support you have given me over the years and continue to give me everyday! I can’t wait to take you on this adventure with me! 2018 is a big year for me and my family with many milestones in the coming months! I want to share them all with you because  each of those significant events will define the broadening of my portrait photography!

My hope for you all is pure happiness, joy and love for 2018!

 

Family

A Blessed Family

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I met Jenn almost 20 years ago. Truthfully, I had to keep thinking back to how long it has actually been. We worked together at my parents restaurant and I was trying to remember when she started there. She had asked me to be her wedding photographer in 2007 and we were really good friends by that point so father than that. She was at my baby shower for my youngest in 2004, farther than that…She was the one I had asked to go check out a hot guy that was sitting at my table to get her opinion of, who is now my husband that I met in 2002. Without asking her, I would say we met roughly around 2001.

The reason why I explain all of this is because for as long as I have known Jenn, she has been such a genuine person and friend and we have seen many milestones in each others lives. I cherish our times that we get to spend together because we can just be ourselves and laugh and catch up on life!

She fell madly in love with her husband, Aaron, and were married in 2007 in Hawaii! Did I mention that I was the photographer? What a dream wedding! I was in the very early stages of wanting to be a photographer and she put her trust in me to capture one of the most special days of her life and I was truly honored! And scared out of my mind!!! She loved her wedding photos and obviously you can see the progression of skill!

From then, they started to try for kids. There were many years of sadness, depression, aggravation, and anger of trying to get pregnant. Test after test, doctor after doctor, and through it all Jennie and Aaron’s love stayed strong and became stronger.  Sure there were tough times but they knew they could get through it together.

After they tried every fertility treatment available, they went to In Vitro. They were finally pregnant! I remember Jenn calling me, just small talk, and her saying, “well I was just wondering if you wanted to take some pregnancy announcement photos for us?” Literally, that question was within random conversation. If I wasn’t listening, I wouldn’t have heard it! I was ecstatic! I truly can not put into words how over the moon I was for them and for that matter, everyone else they knew! If there were two more deserving people to receive such a wonderful gift, it was them!

There were a few minor concerns during the pregnancy and Jenn was monitored very closely. For the most part she did fantastic! She did deliver her boys about a month premature and they were in NICU for 10 days.  They were 3 weeks old when I met them and photographed their newborn session. They were absolutely beautiful newborns! From that moment on, I was in love!

The boys are almost 11 months old now and so healthy and so adorable and  truly happy babies! It took Jennie and Aaron so long to have these miracles and the first year is already approaching! As a mom, I know how hard that is for time to go by so fast. Even though there may be days where it doesn’t feel that way, you wake up one day and wonder where all that time went! (insert tears here) But these two parents are not taking one day for granted. They are counting their blessings every day.  I don’t think these boys will ever know the joy they have brought to their mom and dad.

The next milestone I get to capture is their first birthday!!

To Jennie and Aaron, I love you both so much and are so overjoyed for your beautiful family! Thank you for allowing me to be your family photographer! I am honored to have captured all of your milestones as a family  and many more to come!!

 

Family

Saufley Family

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Saufley-20Saufley-6Saufley-9Saufley-10Saufley-7Saufley-11Saufley-13Saufley-12Saufley-8I started “mom dating” Bri, a few months ago. We met through our 13 year olds a year ago. Maddie and Connor would say, “You guys should hang out. That would be so cool!” We decided to take the kids out to lunch. We became friends and planner sisters! I love this family!

With the holidays fast approaching,  setting a date for family photos became difficult for Bri. There is one person missing from their photos! Riley who is living it up as a sophomore in college in California! I am excited for next year to photograph the whole family!

Of course, another location that I am in love with! Does anyone notice how obsessed I am with the lake yet? There are so many options out there!

Time is running out! Don’t miss out on your family photos!

Family

Sailing into the Holidays!

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Tripi-3Tripi-4Tripi-5Tripi-7Tripi-9Tripi-10Tripi-11YES! I am a family photographer too!! I love the change up to photograph families for the holidays! This family has been with me for several years! I met Joe and Kaley 20 years ago and when they had their first boy, I wanted to do his newborn shoot! Ya, that was 15 years ago!

If you are a follower of my blog, you will know that I have had a camera in my hand since I was a little girl. I progressed in my photography skills throughout the years, but let me tell you, his newborn photos…Bahahahahaha!! Kaley and I laugh at them today! Her and I literally were on the floor in her living room stacking towels on top of each other to try for the “Anne Geddes” look. I am dying laughing as I am writing this! We were trying to balance him on top of them while Kaley was right off camera shot to make sure he wouldn’t fall off! The towels were every shade of blue and I think I left it in color when I developed it! Also, I think you could see the hallway in the background! Of course, she loved those photos because they were of her baby boy. That was all that mattered.

There was a few years gap in family photos after that but we picked back up and every year I get to photograph this family at a fun unique location! When Kaley saw my sailboat shoot, she knew that’s where this years session would be. The day of the shoot was beautiful! The weather was perfect and there were just enough clouds for a subdued sun and gorgeous sky.

I loved the outfits Kaley picked out for the boys. I did help pick the dress (wink, wink) which was absolutely stunning on her!

To the guys at Go Sail Arizona, thank you! Not only did we have a beautiful shoot, we got to sail as well! Check out their website to learn more about sailing instruction or rentals.

http://gosailaz.com/

Will your next photo session be on a sailboat??

8th grade Promotion, College Graduation, Family, High School Senior Photography

2018: The year of Graduates

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Barwise-9Barwise-26Barwise-27Barwise-51Barwise-22Barwise-43Another checked off bucket list photo shoot! I have always wanted to have a shoot on a sailboat. Hopefully, this won’t be the last one either! A very dear friend at the lake was able to make it happen for us! No matter how old these girls get, they will always be my prime models! I think they were 3, 7, and 11 the first time I told them to get into some cute clothes because mom wanted to use her camera and find some locations. This will never get old for them! I appreciate them for being such good sports!

I am beyond thrilled with how this shoot turned out! I was so thankful for the kindness of our sailboat driver, Colton, for taking time out of his day to drive us around, then put up the sail and just sit there and watch us do the shoot! It was perfect! I guess maybe the one thing that would have made it even better is if we would have jumped IN the lake after the shoot!!

Each one of my daughters are approaching a milestone in the upcoming year. Kylee will be graduating from college, Kaycee will graduate high school, and Maddie will promote 8th grade! I am already having heart palpitations! I have a case of tissues with my name on it and will probably use them all before the end of the year!

Is anyone else in the same “boat” as me? I can start a support group! LOL These years go by so fast! The only thing we can do is to capture as much of it as we can to freeze those moments for a lifetime. I am crying right now just typing this!

Keep an eye out for special pricing for sibling graduates and good luck! I’ll be thinking about you!

High School Senior Photography

A “Fair” to Remember

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I have always thought it would be so fun to have a photo shoot at the fair! So I grabbed one of my senior reps, Ali and we went! Honestly, I feel this backdrop truly brings out the innocents in this age! It helps them remember how much fun their high school career has been and to embrace the remaining months of their childhood! This shoot was fun and vibrant and there was so much to creativity! I can’t wait to go back for another session! Thank you to my contacts at the Arizona State Fair for being super accommodating! We had a blast!! Is this not the perfect backdrop for your senior photos? Also, a chance to have a little fun too!