emily rae photography

New Blog

2010-02-21T20:58:00.000-05:00

My blog has moved. Visit it here: http://blog.emilyraephotography.com

emily rae photography - grand rapids, mi photographer - 2009 favorite children sessions

2009-12-31T08:51:00.009-05:00

More of my favorites from 2009. Here are some of my favorite children's photos. I love doing candid kids sessions. They are just so much fun. It was really hard for me to pick just a few!

emily rae photography - Grand Rapids, MI Photographer - 2009 Babies

2009-12-29T19:27:00.015-05:00

Newborn sessions are one of my favorites. It's fun to take a look at all the newborn sessions I've done in 2009 and also see see how big these little ones have now become. They change so fast!! Below are a few of my faves.

want to win a new car?

2009-12-03T20:54:00.004-05:00

emily rae photography is participating in the International Charity Model Search to select North America’s Cutest Family and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation. (NILMDTS.org)

Many exciting prizes will be awarded and the grand prize winner receives a new car!

Model Search Special:
$50 entrance fee includes a 60-minute portrait session and one image submitted to the national gallery. You will also receive 1 digital file and 15% off any order.

Finalists will be determined by online votes. Each vote is $1 (no limit on the amount of votes you can cast), and all proceeds from votes benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS.org).

Grand prize international winner will be determined from the 52 city finalists. The winners will be selected from the finalist gallery by photography and modeling industry experts. The winning family also receives a session with the renowned portrait artist Sandy Puc’ and international recognition.

Call 616-340-9399 or email me at emily@emilyraephotography.com now to enter your family in this exciting contest.

*Contest open to residents of the US and Canada. For more information, visit http://sandypucmodels.com/.

Christmas Cards

2009-11-17T20:47:00.006-05:00

Here are just a few of the Christmas Cards I'm offering this year. You can use any photos I've taken or you still have time to schedule a session!! Email me: emily@emilyraephotography.com or call 340.9399!

family pictures

2009-11-15T12:15:00.005-05:00

Darin and I try each year to get a picture of our family for our Christmas card. Mia joined our family in September. Buddy tolerates Mia, and Mia desperately wants to be friends with Buddy. Buddy was less than thrilled with the family photo. We're hoping next year they'll be curled up next to each other :)

Fall Mini Session - Joseph Family

2009-11-08T09:21:00.011-05:00

Mini-session are so much fun. They only last 20 minutes, but result in some great photos! These kids are cousins and they were so great!! Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I love the colors.

I have 3 more slots open for this Saturday's (November 14) Holiday Studio Mini-Session. Email me if you'd like to book a slot. emily@emilyraephotography.com

Tim & Casey

2009-11-01T18:43:00.006-05:00

I did Tim and Casey's engagement session 2 weeks ago. They wanted a Fall engagement session and I think they picked the perfect weekend!! I love the fall and it seems to have gone so quickly this year.

Tim and Casey were met at Mojo's, introduced by friends. So we had to get a shot under the sign.

Can't wait to photography their wedding this May. Congrats Tim & Casey!

chicago marathon

2009-10-20T19:56:00.009-04:00

Darin and I headed to Chicago two weekends ago to watch my brother, Eric, run the Chicago marathon. I'm so proud of Eric. He ran in honor of his son Evan, age 6, who is on the autism spectrum and raised over $3500 to fund autism research! Running a marathon is an incredible accomplishment. Both physically and mentally exhausting! Around mile 6, at the end of the street our friend's jen & matt live on. See Darin there in the lower right hand corner raising his mug. You just can't help cheer the runners on!

Here's Eric around mile 9.

I had to snap a photo of this sign which is the title of one of The Effort's songs.

Ok just had to take a photo of this guy. I couldn't believe some of the costumes we saw. Unfortunately I had my camera put away when the grim reaper passed by.
Eric, Megan, Evan, Ryan and Rachel after the race. Congrats Eric!!

emily rae photography - newborn session - anna leigh

2009-09-30T17:12:00.003-04:00

I shot this newborn session last week for my very good friends (and neighbors) the VanMaanen family. Jenny and I have been friends since high school. We lived together in New York, moved back to GR together, she stood up for me in my wedding. I photographed her wedding and have had the pleasure of photographing her growing family. Meet Anna Leigh (and her proud big sister Ellie). Congrats Jenny & Chris!!

urban session - emily rae photography

2009-09-27T21:06:00.010-04:00

I am so behind on editing right now, but wanted to make a quick post. Here are some of my favorites from a recent urban session.

Cole

2009-09-20T22:07:00.002-04:00

I did Cole's newborn session this past week and wanted to make a quick post. I've known his mom and dad for a long time and am so happy for them!! Don't you just love his blue eyes?

Urban Mini Session - September 17

2009-09-02T20:20:00.005-04:00

Mini sessions are at a specific location, last only 20 minutes and result in quality photos for you and your family. The session fee is $50 and you receive a $25 print credit towards your order. I still have several openings for Urban Sessions - September 17 from 5 - 8 p.m. Email me at emily@emilyraephotography.com or call me at 340.9399 to reserve your spot!

Senior Session - Nyssa

2009-08-18T22:35:00.003-04:00

Here are a few of my favorites from a senior session I did a few weeks ago. Nyssa is a very talented musician, so we had to do a few with her guitar and at the piano.

finton family

2009-08-11T20:48:00.005-04:00

About a week ago I had the pleasure of photographing the Finton family. They recently welcomed Aiden into their family. I think families that adopt are so incredible!! I offer a special package for families that have adopted in the past 6 months. (E-mail me for details emily@emilyraephotography.com). Anyway, this family is beautiful and I just had to share a few pictures.

I love this photo because just a second before both boys were smiling and looking at the camera. Then we heard a fire truck coming from the direction they are looking :)

Mini Sessions - Book Now!

2009-08-03T17:15:00.002-04:00

More to come later, but I have the following mini sessions available. Email me - emily@emilyraephotography.com or call 340.9399 to reserve your spot!

Senior Session - Jamie

2009-07-30T17:10:00.002-04:00

I did Jamie's senior session a few weeks ago. Jamie is an awesome girl. Right after I did her senior photos, she went on a missions trip with her church and now she is studying spanish in South America (sorry Jamie I forgot which country). She found the program on her own and went by her self. I think that is so cool!! I hope you have an amazing experience Jamie!!

Josh & Bridget

2009-07-20T20:37:00.005-04:00

Here are a few of my favorites from Josh & Bridget's Wedding a few weeks ago.

View more pictures on my facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grand-Rapids-MI/emily-rae-photography/84805418098?ref=nf#/pages/Grand-Rapids-MI/emily-rae-photography/84805418098

Zandstra Family Photos

2009-07-17T16:29:00.002-04:00

Here's a few of my favorites from this recent family session of our good friends Karen & Doug and their family.

Tracy & Matt - Rehearsal & Getting Ready Photos

2009-07-15T20:28:00.005-04:00

I photographed Tracy & Matt's rehearsal a few weeks ago. Tracy's older sister Molly and I are friends from High School. Molly asked me to take pictures at the wedding rehearsal/dinner and of the girls getting ready at the salon the morning of the wedding as a gift from Tracy & Matt's siblings. What a great and unique idea! It was so much fun and is obvious what a great couple Tracy & Matt are. Congrats!!

Heidi & Walt's Wedding

2009-07-11T12:43:00.018-04:00

Here's pictures from Heidi and Walt's wedding which I shot a few weekends ago. I had such a hard time narrowing down the photos. The ceremony was beautiful and was at Frederik Meijer Garden's. We took quite a few pictures there and then did some downtown as well.

Wedding Bells - I ♥ Faces Photo Challenge

2009-06-29T21:39:00.004-04:00

This week's I ♥ Faces Photo Challenge is "Wedding Bells". I took this picture in February at a wedding. If you look close, you can see that there is still snow on the ground, though it's melting in the background. We took just a couple quick snapshots outside that day because it was so cold, but I love the smiles on their faces in this one.

Check out all the great entries at: http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/

Kamden - 1 Year Photos

2009-06-29T20:34:00.005-04:00

I've been photographing Kamden since he was about 5 days old. Here are few of my favorites from Kamden's one year session.

family photos

2009-06-25T22:36:00.003-04:00

I used to work with Blerta and have had the opportunity to take pictures of her boys a couple of times prior to this last session. They are both adorable as you can see. I had a great time taking pictures of the whole family a couple weeks ago. Here are a few of my favorites from the session.

Week 24 - I ♥ Faces - Let's Hear it For the Boys

2009-06-23T21:49:00.004-04:00

This week's I ♥ Faces contest is "Let's Hear it for the Boys". I totally forgot to enter and have less than 10 minutes to post, so here is my entry this week! I did some shots of Carl for his modeling portfolio a few weeks ago.

Check out all the other fabulous entries at: http://www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com/

I ♥ Faces - Week 23

2009-06-15T22:26:00.002-04:00

This week's I ♥ Faces contest is Sepia toned photos. I took Ellie's 1 year photos a little over a month ago. Here is one of my favorites. Check out the other entries at http://www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com/ .

I ♥ Faces Week 22 - Vacation

2009-06-08T21:19:00.004-04:00

This week at I ♥ Faces is: My Story In Photos: The Vacation Edition

My husband and I were able to take the trip of a lifetime last August. One of my good friends, was getting married in Ecuador, so we decided while we were in the country to take a trip to the Galapagos Islands. The trip was amazing!!

Darin and I posing with some Galapagos tortoises at Darwin Station.

Possibly Lonely George?
This Sea Lion was lounging at the hotel. Though they look cuddly, they are not very friendly! My husband Darin expierenced this first hand when this little guy woke up.
This Blue Footed Booby was posing for me.

Here I am posing with the large Iguanas.

It was very difficult to choose just a few photos for this post, but I'll end with this photo of the harbor at Isabella Island.

Engagement & Family Session

2009-06-07T14:09:00.007-04:00

I'm photographing Heidi & Walt's wedding in a few weeks and we did a Engagement/Family Session this past Sunday. Here are a few of my favorites.

I love this Toy Camera effect above. I actually have a holga, but this photoshop effect gets close to the same result, without having to purchase the film and develop it!

I ♥ Faces Week 21 Photo Challenge

2009-06-02T16:46:00.001-04:00

This week the I ♥ Faces contest has a pets category. This is my cat, buddy. He loves to pose for the camera so it was hard to choose a shot. Check out the other entries at: www.iheartfaces.com

Week 20 - Photo Challenge (Silhouettes Category)

2009-05-26T20:33:00.005-04:00

I'm entering again this week in the I ♥ Faces photo contest. This week's category is Silhouettes. My husband was good sport and let me photograph him this weekend. I actually just have to take a moment to say how incredible he is. He is so supportive of me in whatever I do -- especially photography. He constantly encourages me to pursue what I love. I am so blessed to have him :). We have been married 2 1/2 years and I honestly have to say that each day gets better and better!

While I was taking the photos I thought it would be fun to take a few of the two of us with my tripod and self-timer and i'm entering one of those.

Also, thank you so much for all your kind comments on last week's entry. This contest is so fun and everyone is great!! I can't wait to see everyone's entries this week. Check them out at: www.iheartfaces.com .

I Heart Faces Week 19 Contest

2009-05-19T21:29:00.006-04:00

I'm entering a photo this week in a fun contest by I ♥ Faces. This is my first time entering, and I'm really excited. I took this shot a month or so ago and it's one of my favorite shots of Amelia.

I am submitting this photo into the http://www.iheartfaces.com/ Blurb Book photo contest. I am granting I ♥ Faces permission to use my photo in a printed version of a book for commercial use and possibly advertising of a photo book on both the Blurb and I ♥ Faces web sites.

Ellie 1 Year Photos

2009-05-03T13:32:00.005-04:00

Here are some of my favorite pictures from Ellie's 1 yr session.

Mother's Day Special - May 2 & 3

2009-04-24T17:21:00.007-04:00

Mother's Day Special - $50

Saturday, May 2nd & Sunday, May 3rd

Up to 45 minute session - Urban location or Studio
CD with 20 - 25 images and copyright release to print. Receive your CD by Wednesday, May 6 - In time for Mother's day!

E-mail me or call me - (emilyvandermolen@yahoo.com or 340.9399) to book a slot. Let me know what day/times will work best and if you want to do studio or urban shots.

the effort

2009-04-22T17:36:00.007-04:00

I took pictures for The Effort, my husband's band, a few weeks ago. They recently recorded some songs in Nashville and are finishing up their EP... which will be available soon! Here are some of my favorites. These are my favorites. No how many women can say their husband can do the splits? And jump that high :)

Check them out:

http://www.theeffortrocks.com/

Festival of Faith & Music 2009

2009-04-07T19:26:00.005-04:00

Darin and I had the opportunity to attend the Festival of Faith & Music for the first time last weekend at Calvin College. I stumbled across the festival because my favorite band, Over the Rhine was playing at it Saturday night. The whole weekend was incredible. Great music, workshops and we met so many fantastic people.

The pictures below were from Saturday afternoon when Darin had the opportunity to play with Lenny Smith and some other great musicians (see a few of their websites below). I sang along and even played the tambourine :)

Lenny Smith: http://www.soundsfamilyre.com/musicians.php?artistID=3

Bifrost Arts: http://www.myspace.com/bifrostarts

Aaron Strumpel: http://www.aaronstrumpel.com/

young family part 2

2009-03-24T18:37:00.007-04:00

Part 2 of the photos I took this past Saturday -- here are some of my favorites of Sophie and Elizabeth. I am so excited that Spring is on it's way! While I love taking photos inside my studio, it is much more fun to take pictures at outside locations, especially when I'm photographing children.
I couldn't decide what I like this one better in, color or B&W.

young family part 1

2009-03-22T15:04:00.004-04:00

I took family photos yesterday of my good friends the Youngs. Here is part one, featuring Amelia. I'm going to be entering all three girls in the NILMDTS National Model Search contest(http://www.sandypucvotes.com/).

Calling all 2010 Seniors

2009-03-18T19:13:00.003-04:00

Calling all 2010 Seniors!! We still have a few more months before summer is here, and senior portrait season is in full swing, but I wanted to share a special deal I have available for a limited number of seniors. If you are interested in being a senior rep (or having your child be a senior rep) shoot me an e-mail at emily@emilyraephotography.com. I will select one senior rep from each school in the Grand Rapids area. You get an amazing deal on your senior session and photos. Let me know if you're interested and I'll send you more details!!

Josh & Bridget's Wedding

2009-03-01T21:10:00.008-05:00

A couple of months ago I posted some pictures from Josh and Bridget's engagement session. I got to photograph Josh and Bridget's wedding on February 15th. It was a beautiful ceremony and I'm so glad I got to be a part of their special day. Here are some of my favorites from the day.

national model search

2009-02-19T17:33:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I posted a special for Sandy Puc's National Model search. This is a great contest to find America's cutest kid and also is raising money for a charity I'm involved with, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NLMDTS). Here's how the contest works.

Go to the website: www.sandypucvotes.com

Enter the Grand Rapids gallery and click on the Tab "O-P". Vote as many times as you want, each vote costs $1 and goes to benefit the charity NLMDTS.

And there is still time to book your session if you'd like to enter your child in the contest. They have to be between the ages of 18 months - 14 years old. E-mail if you're interested at emily@emilyraephotography.com .

Vote Now for the Effort!!

2009-02-18T17:56:00.004-05:00

My husband's band The Effort entered the April in the D songwriting contest with 101 WRIF in Detroit and they are in the final 3!! Go to the site below and vote for them. You have to register with your e-mail address, but you can opt out of the automatic e-mails if you like. Take a couple minutes to support the effort!!!
http://www.wrif.com/content/2008_12aprilind.asp

Engagement Session

2009-02-14T16:08:00.004-05:00

Here are photos from a recent engagement session with Jolanda and Jim. This was my first time meeting Jim, but I have known Jolanda for more than 10 years. Jolanda was my small group leader when I was in high school and her younger brother James is married to my best friend Melissa. Congratulations Jolanda and Jim!

abby lane

2009-02-06T18:59:00.002-05:00

Another precious newborn. She is so adorable and her sisters even got in a few photos. Newborn sessions are so fun.

Drin

2009-01-27T18:10:00.004-05:00

Here are some photos I took recently of Drin and his older brother Jonid. Both boys are adorable!!

moses

2009-01-22T23:08:00.003-05:00

My friend Monica gave birth to a beautiful boy two weeks ago and I was able to meet Moses this evening. He slept for most of the time I was visiting with his mom, dad, sister and brother. He was so adorable and I just had to snap a few pictures which are posted below. Hopefully I'll post some more of the whole family in the next couple of days.

I've been reading Exodus this week and the story of Moses. God used the Moses of the Bible for great things. Moses kept following God's direction and doing what God asked him to do, even when it seemed crazy and when others wouldn't listen to him. I believe God has an incredible plan for this Moses as well and will use him to do great things.

National Charity Model Search

2009-01-10T10:27:00.004-05:00

Is your child America’s Cutest Kid?

emily rae photography is participating in the National Charity Model Search to select “America’s Cutest Kid” and to raise funds for charity. Children ages 18 months to 14 years old can be entered into the contest.

Models Search Special:
$20 entrance fee, which includes a 30 minute model session and one image submitted to the national gallery & a 5 x 7 of this photo. Book before January 30th to be eligible to participate!

Finalists will be determined by online votes. Anyone may vote. Each vote is $1, and all proceeds from votes benefit the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. (NILMDTS.org)
Grand prize national winner will be determined from the 50 city finalists. Winners selected by photography and modeling industry experts.

If your child is selected the national winner, you’ll receive many prizes, including a $5,000 US Savings Bond and a Canon PowerShot G10 digital camera.
If you’re interested in entering your child(ren), please call me at 616-340-9399 or e-mail me emily@emilyraephotography.com . For more information about the contest, go online to http://www.sandypucmodels.com/.

Kamden - 6 Months

2009-01-05T19:33:00.002-05:00

Here's a sneak peek at Kamden's 6 month photos. I've taken Kamden's newborn photos, 3 month and now 6 month photos. It's fun to see how much he's growing and changed so far!!

Josh & Bridget

2008-12-22T20:29:00.004-05:00

Here are some of my favorite photos from a recent engagement session. Congrats Josh & Bridget!!

Christmas Disco Dance

2008-12-16T22:31:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Last Minute Holiday Special

2008-12-09T18:22:00.003-05:00

For those of you who don't have your Christmas shopping done yet... or like me haven't started, I have a special for you! I'm offering a great special December 19th & 20th. See details below. Pictures in time for a Christmas present! Contact me to reserve your slot: emily@emilyraephotography.com

2008-12-06T16:13:00.005-05:00

I'm finally done editing Kimberly and Patrick's wedding photos, yeah! The wedding was on November 22nd and it really turned out to be a beautiful day. We even got take a few photos outside, despite the cold weather. Kim and Pat were married at Noel's in Jamestown. It is a great place.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day, Kim and Pat. I hope you enjoy!

Pat & Kim's Wedding

2008-12-03T18:31:00.004-05:00

Here is a sneak preview for you Kim & Pat. Also, I'm entering a contest with MCP actions to win a new blog. Go to http://mcpactions.com/blog/2008/12/03/win-a-900-into-the-darkroom-hyperlyte-blog/ or visit http://www.mcpactions.com for more info.

Thankful

2008-12-01T20:43:00.003-05:00

While this post is a few days late, I just wanted to take a moment to list some of the things I'm thankful for .... especially as I reflect on the last year. We truly have so much to be thankful for, even with this economy and all the stuff going on in this world.

I'm thankful for....

... a loving, gracious, compassionate, patient, merciful God.

.... my wonderful husband. Sometimes I just can't believe how blessed I am to be married to such a kind, thoughtful, loving, caring, talented man. (I love you hunny! :) )

... an amazing family.

... a roof over my head, for a vehicle, for so many things I take for granted every single day.

... pets ... for our little Buddy and for Fluffy too ... who I still miss.

... variety, that no day is like another.

... new friendships and precious old ones too.

... a church family.

... new life. For all the precious little one's who have come into this world in the past year!

...our beautiful family from Burma and for my Sudanese friends the Aowidiek family - Abel, Monica, Emmanual and Rhoda and a little one on the way, who are so beautiful and remind me what it truly means to be filled with Christ. I have been so blessed by both of these refugee families.

... the gift of photography and what this year has brought... and excited with the possibility of what else might be!

May you be blessed this holiday season and take a moment to thank God for all the blessings in your life!

holiday mini sessions

2008-11-15T09:44:00.004-05:00

The holiday mini sessions I did last saturday were so much fun. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day. It's amazing what boys will do when you tell them to make their brother laugh.

There is still time to get photos done for holiday cards. E-mail me if you're interested! emily@emilyraephotography.com

ellie

2008-11-08T08:56:00.007-05:00

Here are some of my favorite pics of little Elle and her mom and dad. She is so precious!! I can't believe she's 6 months old already. It seems like just yesterday your Mommy and I were living in New York Ellie.
There's still time to get pictures for Christmas Cards. Here's another sample of a card:

newborns

2008-11-04T22:18:00.006-05:00

I love doing newborn sessions. I know! I think I've mentioned this a time or two before. I'm surprised Darin hasn't banned me from doing them :) So many people have had babies recently... I think I've gotten to hold 4 newborns in the last two weeks. Anyway, here a few photos from a session I did a week ago. I am so behind on editing right now, but hopefully I'll be done with all your photos soon Heidi. Hope you enjoy!!

Meet Kaiya!

Senior Session

2008-10-25T11:43:00.005-04:00

Here are some more photos from a recent senior session with Allison. I love the urban shots!!

Saturday Oct 25th - Benefit

2008-10-22T09:40:00.004-04:00

If you can make it this saturday, stop by! This is a benefit show to support our cousin Theresa's fight against cancer.

pike family sneak peek

2008-10-18T13:02:00.005-04:00

Here's a sneak peek at some of the pictures from a session I did last week for our good friends, the Pike family. Love you guys, hope you enjoy!

newborn

2008-10-16T21:13:00.003-04:00

Newborn sessions are some of my favorite to do. This little guy was born premature in June and just came home from the hospital a few weeks ago. What a precious little one.

Holiday Mini-Sessions

2008-10-06T17:43:00.006-04:00

I'm excited about these 2 holiday sessions I'm offering this fall. Contact me at 340-9399 or emily@emilyraephotography.com to book your session!!

Jaiden & Peyton

2008-10-05T09:44:00.005-04:00

I also took pictures of Jaiden & Peyton last Saturday with Kamden. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

Another Christmas Card!

2008-10-04T09:00:00.002-04:00

Another fun Christmas card i'll be offering this season. I have several others in the B&W. I think they look so classy! I'll be posting more soon!

kamden

2008-10-04T00:09:00.009-04:00

Here are some pics I took last weekend of Kamden. I can't believe he's only three months old. He was happiest when he could stand up! This is the first time I've done some urban shots with a baby. He was so adorable. I hope you enjoy Nichole!!

Christmas Cards

2008-10-01T21:13:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's already this time of year. Here are the first of several holiday cards I'll be offering this year. Prices are listed on my website under "extras". I've been busy updating my website, and I still have a bit to do, but feel free to check it out. I've added lots of new pics and I'm offering some new packages, prints, etc.

You can use any pictures I've taken in the past or schedule a session. I'll be offering a couple mini sessions coming up - which are 30 minute sessions and a lot of fun. I'll be posting the dates soon, but e-mail me if you're interested. emily@emilyraephotography.com

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Happy Birthday Mom!!

2008-09-30T07:25:00.006-04:00

We went to Saugatuck on Sunday to celebrate mom and my birthdays and had a great day. We went to the Art Barn and painted our own pottery, took some family pictures and ate dinner at Phil's. Here are a few of the pictures! Have a great birthday today mom, we love you!

senior session part 2

2008-09-28T09:05:00.004-04:00

Here a few more from my senior session with Jake and his brothers last weekend. There were so many photos, it was hard to choose from. But here a few more of my favorites.

senior session

2008-09-24T20:52:00.003-04:00

I did another senior session this past weekend. It was a lot of fun taking some pictures of Jake and his two brothers. Here are just a few of the many photos we took. Hopefully I'll finish editing and post some more soon!

ava

2008-09-23T19:10:00.002-04:00

I had the opportunity to take these pics of Ava last week Wednesday. She was so cute! But also very determined to avoid the camera. I did manage to get what I think are some pretty good shots though. I can't wait to take some more pics of her and her brand new sister in a couple weeks!

wedding

2008-09-14T16:02:00.003-04:00

I had the opportunity to shoot Mike & Susan's wedding yesterday with Doug and Karen Zandstra. Doug and Karen had asked me to shoot with them since Karen is in her third trimester and they weren't sure how'd she do on her feet all day. Here are a few of my favorites so far. I'll hopefully post some more soon.

Church Picnic

2008-09-13T08:32:00.011-04:00

Every year our church kicks off the fall with an all church service and picnic. Our church has 4 unique services that come together for one service at least one Sunday a year. We usually hold the service outside, but got rained out this year. Extra chairs were set up and everyone managed to fit in the sanctuary & narthex. And it even cleared up for afternoon games. Here are a few pics from the day.

Storyboards & More

2008-09-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

I recently purchased these storyboard templates from MCP templates and greeting card template (one in pink) from Tina Parker (http://mcpactions.com/main.html and http://mylilcreations.blogspot.com/ ). I'm still experimenting, but they are a ton of fun. I will soon be offering the storyboards that can be displayed with your favorite pictures from a session. I'm going to be offering the greeting card templates with some special holiday deals that I will be posting soon!

Traverse City

2008-09-03T22:41:00.003-04:00

Darin and I were able to take a couple days off from work last week (I know two weeks in Ecuador wasn't enough vacation) and go up to Traverse City Thursday, Friday and Saturday with my family. This was the first Bursch family vacation we've taken together since Eric was in college and I was still in high school and the first vacation we've taken now that we're "grownup". It was fun to have the whole family together. Here are a few pictures from one of our adventures to pick blueberries. The kids had so much fun and we all ate quite a few blueberries. I especially like the sign we saw when we came in, and i now wish i'd taken a picture. I'm probably not getting it exactly right, but it said something like "eating a few blueberries is OKAY, eating blueberries until you can't eat anymore is stealing. " We ate quite a few, but I still had room :)

beach day session 1

2008-08-29T22:41:00.002-04:00

I've been busy editing photos from our beach day session. Here are a few from the first set I've edited. Hope you enjoy!! Meet Makenna. She just turned 2. She had lots of fun splashing in the water and was hard to keep up with.

meet the jones family

2008-08-25T23:43:00.003-04:00

I took these family photos for the Jones family the Saturday we returned from Ecuador. I'm trying to keep up with my photos & editing, but i'm getting a little behind. I haven't gotten to the Ecuador photos yet (we took over 2000) so there is lots of sorting to do. I'm hoping to get to those soon. And I've got a ton of photos to edit from our beach session Saturday. We're heading to Traverse with the family for a long weekend so maybe i'll get a little editing done then. Anyway, this family is adorable. Hope you enjoy!!

Beach Day- Saturday August 23rd

2008-08-18T21:58:00.005-04:00

We still have a few more slots for the Beach Day Photography shoot this coming Saturday at Kirk Park (August 23rd from 3 - 7 p.m.) E-mail me at emilyvandermolen@yahoo.com or call me at 616-340-9399 to reserve your spot.

natu

2008-08-17T09:29:00.006-04:00

I had the pleasure of photographing Natu before we left for Ecuador. I'm a little behind and just getting the pictures edited now. I've known Natu's parents for quite some time and it was so fun to finally meet their precious little boy. I've heard quite a lot about him since my mom has spent a bit of time with him over the past year. In fact, I think it has taken some of the pressure off me and Darin for a grandchild in the near future. Thanks Em & Negassi!! Natu was hard to keep up with. (as you can see by the pictures), but he is delightful.

Ecuador - Day 5 & 6

2008-08-06T10:32:00.018-04:00

Isabella

We travelled to Isabella Island on Monday. We left at 7:00 a.m. and had 2 hour boat ride. We were a little aprehensive about the boat ride after our experience the day before. But the ride wasn't too bad (though Emily had taken something for motion sickness.) We arrived at the beautiful and sunny Isabella Island.

We went to a place called the wall of tears. This was a prison in 1946. From what we could understand from our guide, they had the prisoners build this wall and left the prisoners here to fend for themselves.

View from the top of the wall.

View from the top of a lookout we climbed.

Freshwater stream on Isabella. We were told this is where the prisoners got their drinking water from.

This is a lagoon on Isabella.

A Galapagos penguin. Isn't he cute?

We also stopped at an island that is mostly inhabited by iguanas, though we also saw more sea lions there as well. In the waters surrounding the island is a white shark resting place. We snorkled here as well, but fortunately did not see any sharks. Although we would have liked to from the boat. Darin saw a stingray and a sea lion tapped him on the foot as he was snorkeling.

Mountain Tour
Tuesday we took a highland tour of the island of Santa Cruz. Our first stop was at Los Gemelos (The Twins) which is a place where the ground basically collapsed and there are two giant craters. It is quite a sight. Our next stop was at a ranch that is right next to a national park. We hiked on a trail and saw quite a few tortoises. Our guide also told us about the different vegetation. We drove up a very steep hill next and then hiked up another steep set of stairs for a spectacular view of the ranch and also of the ocean and islands. Next we hiked through an underground lava tunnel. We had a late lunch and headed back to the hotel.

One of the twins.

One of the many tortoises we saw on our hike. This male was approximately 120 years old. Our guide was able to tell by the number of rings they have on their shells.

This is at the entrance of the lava tunnel, before we embarked on our hike through it. It was 400 meters long.

Sorry this post has been so delayed, we've had limited access to the internet. Jonathan & Irena's wedding is tomorrow and then we are off to Mindo for two days before we fly home. We will probably not be able to post anymore pictures until we're home next Wednesday. We'll see you soon!

Ecuador - Day 4

2008-08-05T10:42:00.008-04:00

The Galapagos Islands
Sunday was our first full day in the Galapagos Islands. We are staying at a hotel on the Island of Santa Cruz. We have an amazing view. Our room has two large sliding glass doors that look out to the ocean. We are pretty high up so we can see all the boats in the port. We fall asleep and wake up to the sound of the waves. Aside from not being able to figure out how to get the hot water to work the first day, we couldn't ask for a better room. We had an early breakfast then came back to our room and drank coffee and read while overlooking the ocean. It was amazing!

View from our room

We got ready, as we needed to be ready at 10:00 a.m. for a Bay and Beach tour. We had to take a taxi in to town as the water was too rough to board the boat at our hotel. We boarded a small boat in town at the port and off we went. Our first stop was to go snorkeling about 10 minutes away from the port. Emily decided to not go snorkeling at this point as the water was very cold and rough and she gets motion sickness quite easily. Darin went with a few others into the water. He saw quite a few fish and even a large turtle swimming. We did have one mishap as our brand new Flip video and waterproof case did not seem to work correctly. So no more video of the Galapagos islands. We're hoping they'll replace it when we return.

Not a great picture, but gives you an idea of what the water was like. This was a pretty rough as Darin's first time swimming in the ocean and snorkeling. Another shot from the boat during the snorkeling experience.

After the snorkeling adventure we headed towards a beach. The ride was pretty intense. The waves were huge and we were in a very little boat. We made it through the rough waves into a cove that lead to the beach. I was relieved, but also a little worried about our trip back out. We explored the beach area where we saw many Iguana and Blue Footed Boobies (a Galapagos Bird). We ate lunch on the beach.

We headed back to the hotel and on the way stopped by the same place we had gone snorkeling earlier and saw quite a few sea lions lounging around on the rocks. If the water hadn't been so choppy, they may have been swimming, but like Emily, they don't like it when the water is rough.

We'll post more of our adventures at Isabella Island (Monday) and on a Mountain tour (Tuesday) when we have time. Take care!

Ecuador - Day 1, 2, & 3

2008-08-03T19:33:00.013-04:00

We arrived safe and sound Thursday evening around 9 p.m. Jonathan, Irena and Ruthie were there to greet us at the airport. We checked in to the hotel and got our suitcase to our rooms and then went out to a restaraunt & bar with Jonathan, Irena, Ruthie, Ryan and Keith. We didn't last long as we were exhausted from our trip. Friday we woke up early because of the sunlight. It is very light at 6 a.m. We managed to go back to sleep for a little bit and got up around 8. Jonathan had a busy day for us and took us on a whirlwind tour of Quito.

This is where we ate lunch. It was excellent!! And we were very hungry!! There was an elderly man here who was sketching cartoon pictures of Keith at our table. It was very funny. He drew several of him but also one of Darin and we paid him $1 for it. We'll have to frame it.

Darin and I in front of the Presidential palace.

This little kid just wanted to be in our picture. I think he tried to sell us some candy first. We ended our day with a trip very high on the mountainside to a statue of the Virgin Mary. She overlooks the city. It was very beautiful and we were able to see the whole city. We went to a restaraunt there that had floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the city and drank a traditional ecuadorian drink. It was quite an experience.
Saturday we left early for the Galapagos Islands. After getting on the wrong bus at the airport. (oops ... it was definately my fault we almost went on a cruise) we headed back to the airport and found the right bus. We arrived at our hotel around 12:00 p.m. Ate lunch and hung out at the hotel until we could get into our room. Darin was almost attacked by a sea lion that was lounging around the hotel deck. After that we headed to the Charles Darwin Research Station, which is just a short walk or bike ride from our hotel. We got to see many tortoises and walked along the beach as well. We had dinner at the hotel and then went to bed quite early.

I will post more when we have time some time. We took a trip in a little boat today and the waves were huge! I was scared! We saw lots and I will posts pictures from today when I have some more time.

August 23rd 2008 - Lake Michigan Beach Day Photo Shoot

2008-07-26T10:02:00.003-04:00

e-mail me at emily@emilyraephotography.com or call me at 340-9399 to book your session!

this could be you!

2008-07-23T21:43:00.003-04:00

I'm teaming up with 1000 words photography on August 23rd to offer a beach day session!! These sessions will be offered for seniors, children & families. More details will be posted early next week, so check back then or feel free to e-mail me at emily@emilyraephotography.com

taber family photos

2008-07-15T21:53:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures of the Taber family I recently took. What a great family! Hope you enjoy!!

kamden

2008-07-12T11:10:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to take some pictures of this precious little newborn boy. What a beautiful baby! He stayed awake the whole time and only cried when he was hungry... well and when he was naked. Kamden and his parents were so fun to work with. Again, congrats Nichole and Kurt!!

avril's 3 month

2008-07-09T20:40:00.000-04:00

Avril is 3 months old! Well actually that was a couple weeks ago, so she is actually getting closer to 4 months. Her and her mommy were so delightful to take pictures of. I'm sure it has a little to do with them both being very close to my heart, but they both are so beautiful! Avril is so expressive and it is really fun to watch her and her mom interact!

little ones!

2008-07-09T20:36:00.000-04:00

I just ordered some new "advertisement cards". This is the back of it, and i just thought I'd show it off. I love taking pictures of little ones. They are just so much fun!!

colorado

2008-07-05T18:49:00.000-04:00

Some of you know I took a roadtrip this past weekend to Campo, Colorado. Campo is near the Oklahoma border and not too far from the Kansas either. I went with my brother & mom to see my cousin Natalie who had leukemia. We arrived Friday night and were able to spend time with her and the rest of the family. During the time we were there, Natalie had over 200 family and friends come by the house to visit her. She passed away Sunday evening surrounded by family and friends. I posted a while back about Natalie. I am a little in awe of her. Only 49, what an example of a loving, kind, caring, compassionate, beautiful, strong woman. She lived each to it's fullest. And most importantly she loved Jesus and the evidence of his presence in her life was aparent in everything she did ... til the end. Thinking and praying for you Royce, Jesse, Clint & Kayla and the rest of the fam!

Below are a few pictures from our trip. This is in pictured canyon which is literally just across the road from The Bursch place. Clint (Natalie's son) took us on a little expedition. I am discovering the older I get, the more afraid of heights I'm becoming.
My brother Eric.
Clint talked us into climbing on top of this thing. I didn't quite realize what we were doing until I was on top!

Eric and Clint taking a break from throwing rocks at birds. I think my great uncle dick says it best "the only difference between now and when these boys were 10 is they have checkbooks now."

engagement photos

2008-07-03T23:13:00.000-04:00

I am a bit behind on my photo editing and posting. Here are some pictures I shot a couple weeks ago of a lovely couple that I was able to take engagment photos of. Tim and Meredith were great to work with. They actually met working for the Grand Rapids Parks and Rec department and thought it would be fitting to get their engagement photos taken in a few of Grand Rapids parks.
This was a really neat idea that Tim & Meredith had. These bricks are near the Ford Museum. The year's of their birth just happend to be right next to each other! So we snapped a pic with them standing in front of their birth year.

danica & avril

2008-06-15T22:34:00.000-04:00

Here are some of my favorites of these two little babies. The girls are not quite 3 months apart. It is amazing how quickly babies grow!!Some of both girls ...Yes, Avril is teething on Danica's arm. She started by licking her first. I'm glad I didn't have my camera totally packed up yet.

Avril trying to climb out of the clothes basket....

I really enjoy taking pictures of babies. They are so precious and fun to capture. And the best part ... you get to hold and cuddle them, and then give them back :)

sam & avril

2008-06-13T08:47:00.000-04:00

Here's a photo from last night when I took some pictures of two of the cutest babies - who are cousins. Below is a great shot of Sam and Avril. Avril has the brightest blue eyes! I'll post more pictures of Avril and Danica later.

festival of the arts continued

2008-06-08T17:26:00.000-04:00

This weekend really took me back to being a kid. We used to go to festival nearly every year. I remember as a kid, taking part in all the crafts & activities they have for the kids. Building sculptures out of wooden scraps and glue, painting pictures, getting my face painted. Almost every year we volunteered with our 4-H club working at a food booth, selling walking tacos or hot dogs.

Now that I'm an adult, somehow the food never tastes quite as good as you think it's going to. But still every year that I go to festival, I manage to try some of the food, imagining how great it's going to be, and usually being dissapointed. Still festival is always a good time. I love seeing all the diversity that, yes even Grand Rapids has to offer. Despite the usually hot & rainy weather, people still come out year after year.

I took our friends Dawt and her son Thang downtown on Saturday. They are Burmese refugees and have been in Michigan for just a little over a month now. Thang is 5 years old and he is such a joy. He is a very bright young boy. He had such a blast painting, making a hat, getting his face painted and getting an air brushed tattoo. (yes i'm such a good influence!). Although he looks very serious in these pictures he loves to smile and laugh and he was very enthusiastic about all the fun kids arts and crafts activities we got to do.

festival of the arts

2008-06-08T17:21:00.000-04:00

A couple pictures from Friday night @ festival of the arts. It was a rainy weekend, as it seems it always is for festival. Darin's band 256 managed not to get rained out, although it rained earlier in the day and stormed later that night. Because of the storms, the sky was really neat looking. I'll post more pictures later.

ellie mae

2008-06-02T22:36:00.000-04:00

Meet Eleanor Mae. What a sweet little girl!! Her auntie em got to hold her for quite a while Friday night & we even went for a walk. She's a keeper!!

the effort

2008-05-27T21:31:00.000-04:00

Just doing some experimenting with texture. This a photo I took of Darin's band the effort. They played outside VanAndel before a Griffin's game this past Fall. The will be playing in a couple weekends at Festival & before a another Griffin's game. Check them out at: www.myspace.com/theeffort

may photos

2008-05-25T16:08:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures I took a last weekend of the Noorman family. What a beautiful family!! They also have a gorgeous home north of Grand Rapids. It was a lot of fun spending some time with this family & their two girls. As you can see, they are adorable.

On a side note, if anyone can help me out with figuring out how to format pictures on here, I'm having a time trying to get them not all over the page. I give up!

please pray for natalie

2008-05-21T19:29:00.000-04:00

These are a couple pictures of my aunt natalie and her daughter jesse. Natalie is actually my dad's first cousin (by marriage). I came across these pictures the other day. They were from a family reunion a couple years ago & the last time I saw Natalie. Natalie is such a wonderful woman - she has a love of life, is warm, caring, compassionate, funny. She has a laugh that is infectious. She is one of those people that just draws other to them. She lives each day to its fullest.

Natalie has leukemia and had a bone marrow transplant a couple months ago. Her husband Royce keeps family and friends updated nearly every day through e-mail (they live in Colorado). Despite the difficult time they are going through, they continue to be so positive. They see God's blessings and faithfullness in a situation some people would ask "where are you God?". I am blessed every time I read one of these updates by their faith and trust in God. Last week they got some news that the Leukemia is back. Natalie is still very weak and so they are waiting on news from some more tests to see what her treatment options are. Natalie & Royce -we love you & are praying for you!

mother's day

2008-05-14T20:14:00.000-04:00

eric, megan, ryan, rachel & evan all came to visit for Mother's day weekend. rachel was pretty lively -- between her playing the piano, singing and dancing.

japan

2008-05-06T21:30:00.000-04:00

another "older" picture. this was taken in Kyoto, Japan. It is a shrine and the exterior is actually gold. pretty crazy.

Welcome Tin Lian, Dawt Tha & Thang Cin!

2008-05-02T22:59:00.000-04:00

On this past Tuesday, our church family welcomed this family of three at the airport, Tin Lian, Dawt Tha & Thang Cin, who are refugees from Burma. We are blessed to have the opportunity to co-sponsor this family.

New York

2008-04-27T20:35:00.000-04:00

The wall street bull. This picture was taking a couple summer's ago when Darin and I went to New York for a friend of ours wedding.