Heartbroken

I was absolutely heartbroken to learn of the tragic and untimely death of one of my recent clients, Travis Engstrom of Bozeman. He and his wife Kelly came to see me for newborn and family photos following the birth of their firstborn child, Kaden Lee. Now Kaden Lee is 6 months old... and his daddy is gone. At only 35 years of age, his father Travis, a huge lover of the outdoors, was a victim of an avalanche while snowmobiling along with his beloved wife and a group of friends near Cooke City this past weekend.

.Words cannot begin to express how my heart goes out to Kelly knowing what unimaginable pain she must be going through right now to lose her husband, her soulmate, the father of her child. Truly, I haven't stopped thinking about this since I received the news via email on Sunday, thankfully prior to reading it in the newspaper today. What breaks my heart most of all, is that their baby will never know his father, the man who gave him life and who loved him so deeply...except for the pictures and stories and any videos they may have taken as a family...
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All I know is this...that when I photograph a person, a child, a family...their image is forever etched in my mind and so it is that I can easily recall Travis Engstrom, a man who radiated like the sun itself when I photographed him with his beautiful baby boy. In all these years, I don't think I've ever seen a man more in love with his newborn child. He was awestruck, mesmerized...and it was so clear...his life would never be the same again for he was not only a husband, but a father as well and suddenly, life took on a whole new meaning. The connection he had with his wife Kelly was so effortless and deep. It was clear to see they were kindred spirits and that their child was truly borne of love.
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So please, allow me to share a few of the first and last photographs taken of the Travis Engstrom Family...

A family forever wrapped up in love...
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And lastly, to Kelly and Kaden Lee...may the light of that brilliant new star in the sky that shines upon you bring you peace and comfort you in all the days to come...

In deepest sympathy...
Susann

Update (1/21): I would like to add that a memorial fund has been set up for Kelly and Kaden at www.travisengstrom.org if you would like to donate.

Four little feet...

When Doug and I were first married and living in a beachfront condo in Marina del Rey, California, my sister's boys who live in Phoenix came to spend a night with us. The next morning, I awoke to the sound of little feet tapping against the slate floor as they ran from the guest bedroom to the balcony so they could see the ocean.

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The following morning I awoke and began crying..."What's wrong, baby?", Doug asked. I miss Wesley & York, I told him... (Oh, how I longed for the sound of little feet the first thing in the morning...):

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Nine years ago today, my dream came true, when our beautiful twins, Sam & Larissa were born. It was a wild ride for sure...making our way down the snowy mountain from Sky Ranch to the hospital only to find myself in an ambulance moments later on my way to the airport for a Medi-flight to Great Falls and then another ambulance to Benefis Healthcare. Learning upon arrival that our daughter was in fetal distress and being told the twins would need to be born NOW. Born 6 weeks early by C-Section, Larissa weighed in at 4.3 lbs and Sam at 4.7 lbs....tiny, tiny, tiny...

We spent the next 2 weeks, including Christmas, in Great Falls, making trips from our hotel room back & forth to the NICU 3-4 times a day for feedings, diaper changes and snuggle time. Oh, what a happy day it was when we were finally able to take our babies home, breathing monitors and all, on New Years Eve 1999...(remember Y2K???).

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Of course it would take another year or two to hear the sound of little feet tapping against the floor in the morning...and now they are NINE! The last of the single-digit birthdays!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAM & LARISSA!!!...my favorite boy and my favorite girl in the whole wide world...I love you beyond words. And no matter what size shoe you wear, I will always cherish your little feet...

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Love, Mom

A Gift of Love...times TWO!

I have just learned of a wonderful grass-roots movement begun by Pennsylvania photographer Kristen Kalp called Giving is Awesome which is quickly turning into an international gift giving phenomenon. Nearly 450 photographers in at least 8 countries are participating. The ultimate goal?...to give away $1 million in custom photography! Its a simple effort by photographers worldwide to give back to their communities and in particular, to worthy families and individuals. Having always been a firm believer in giving back, I am signing on...

Living in the Bozeman Pass, equidistant from both Bozeman and Livingston, and being involved in both communities, I am giving away not one, but two gifts valued at $1500 each to include a custom fine art photo session, a personalized session album to include up to 60 images, a dvd slideshow, and a 20x30 fine art canvas print. One winner will be selected from Gallatin County and one from Park County.

Here's how it goes:

You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom portrait photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.

You may not know them personally, but perhaps you've heard about them or read about them.

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I would like to know who they are and I'd like to give them the chance to experience custom fine art photography...$1,500 worth, to be exact....a gift of love that will be treasured for years to come.

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The Rules:

You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services.

The nominee must reside in either Gallatin County or Park County. Tell me who you know or have heard about, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both you and your nominee.

You must email me the full story (please limit to one page if possible) to info@susannsaarelphotography.com. All entries must be received by December 22nd. A panel of judges will decide which family or individual in each county is most deserving.

The winners will be announced on Christmas Eve!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Susann

**To view the latest Map of Awesome, showing all participating photographers, click here.**

'Tis the Season ~ Our Annual Christmas Tree Hunt

It's tradition here at Sky Ranch to break out the Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving and "deck the halls" while listening, singing and dancing to Christmas music all day long, stopping only to eat Thanksgiving leftovers...

That same weekend with nightfall and a snowstorm looming on the horizon, we decided to hurry and get our tree before the snow got any deeper. So here is our Annual Christmas Tree Hunt...finally documented in photos...and, if you're interested in seeing a few more photos...a slideshow.

Doug and I put up the tree and he strung the lights. This is the first year the twins decorated the entire tree by themselves, getting up on ladders to reach the top of the 13 foot tree.

We're ready for Santa and any other pop in guests!

Montana Parent Magazine...December Cover Child!

Beautiful Lila graces the cover of this months' Montana Parent Magazine. Wearing a festive holiday sweater from exclusive children's boutique, LillyLu in downtown Bozeman, Lila was a shoe-in as the cover child with her mischievous smile and ultra-blonde hair blowing in the wind...

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You won't want to miss this issue's Holiday Events & Winter Fun Guide which includes a ton of exciting things to do in December including all the Christmas Strolls from Livingston to Three Forks, opening night of "A Christmas Carol" at the newly refurbished Ellen Theatre in Bozeman, performances of The Nutcracker Ballet at the Willson Auditorium (in which Lila, above, has a part!), opening day at Bridger Bowl Ski Area and Holiday Candlelight Tours of the Lewis & Clark Caverns!!! Oooooo...THAT sounds really cool!

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It's going to be a busy month!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

It's not often I ask clients to be here shortly after sunrise (7:29 a.m.!) for their photo session, but since Maria just came home from college the night before and the family was heading out to Bigfork for the Thanksgiving Holiday the next afternoon, the morning (that ONE morning) was it...and what a beautiful morning it was! Warm (ok...30 degrees, but that's warm in Montana!) and not a stitch of wind!

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What better backdrop for a Holiday portrait than the snow-capped Bridgers...
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Rikka, Henry and Maria...home for the Holidays!

The Absaroka's don't make a bad backdrop either!...Heck, this family looks great in front of any mountain range!

And to think we were all done by 8:45 a.m.! Thanks Kate & Mark for making the trek up to the ranch and so early too! Hope you had a great Holiday!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) once said:

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

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Well, everytime I look at this photograph of our twins, Larissa & Sam (taken a few years back), believe me, I am alive! This was a simple snapshot taken at Rocky Creek Farm in Bozeman when we went corn-pickin' one late summer day. The twins dressed themselves up in these matching outfits and Sam tossed on his "farmer" hat. What I love most is all the missing teeth. They looked like two scarecrows in the middle of the cornfield. What I also love is how much they obviously love each other.

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Together, they picked so much corn, we ended up having to give most of it away!

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Live.Love.Laugh.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ain't Love Grand?

Family reunions are really a special occasion, but how about celebrating one big happy family that lives in the same town! Now, THAT's REALLY special! Susan and Peter have 3 gorgeous daughters who married 3 handsome men. So what would you expect, but a bunch of adorable grandkids!!!

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Here's the gang...of 15 and counting???

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Seven beautiful grandchildren!....

I remember when oldest daughter Lisa brought her kids, Grant & Averie, to be photographed with Santa at LillyLu in downtown Bozeman!...where does the time go?... Just look at them now...

Love this photo of Lisa and her beautiful daughter Averie...

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And don't middle daughter, Debby, her hubby Keith, and their 4 gorgeous kids look like they just popped right out of a Ralph Lauren ad??...

.Last but not least, there is youngest daughter, Sunny and her husband Aaron...new parents to daughter, Ave. Oh, how they love her...

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And to think all this beauty started with just the two of you...
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Ain't love grand?

Holiday Lollipops

It's CRUNCH time and I'm even shooting weekends to make sure you all have beautiful family and children's photos to grace your holiday cards. My "Baby it's Cold Outside ~ Holiday Mini Sessions" are going going gone...and I'm still getting calls. Deadlines, shmedlines...if I can work you in, I will. It's finally snowing up here at Sky Ranch, so some honest-to-goodness wintry portraits are in the immediate forecast!

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Here are a few faves from a mini-session this past weekend.

I bought these fabulous red lollipops last month on our family's long weekend trip to Fairmont Hot Springs that included a stop at the famous Sweet Palace in Philipsburg. Bronwen and Decker were more than happy to accept my little "gift"...plus I just love the added shot of red.

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Meg & Travis, thanks so much for making the trek up to the ranch! It was a pleasure meeting you all!

Grateful for clients like YOU!

I just love it when I receive cards from my clients featuring images I took of their children. Here's Ryan from Butte, Montana, who is gracing the family's Thanksgiving Cards this year. Isn't he just the cutest??...and aren't these cards by www.yourbeautifulcards.com just spectacular??

Thanks Maureen and John for sending me your beautiful greeting. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

~ Baby Ave ~

Sweet Baby Ave was the youngest today in a family of 15 I photographed this afternoon here at the ranch. I will soon be sharing images of the whole family...actually 4 families in one, but for the moment, I wanted to give Ave's parents, Sunny & Aaron, a sneak peek and beautiful baby Ave (as in Ave Maria) her own moment in the sun...

Love the baby drool in this photo (above). Although Ave was cutting her first tooth, she never stopped smiling and laughing. What an angel!! She even happily modeled her beautiful winter gown!

Given that her mother's name is Sunny, it's no wonder this little one sparkes & shines the way she does. Sunny & Aaron...congratulations on your new family and your absolutely darling baby girl. Ave!

Oh, and if you're wondering where these adorable baby outfits came from, head on over to Country Flowers on the corner of 8th & Main.

Dog Day Afternoon

It may as well have been the dog days of summer the day my session with Larry & Dickey took place in late October! It was so warm, even their dogs had to cool themselves off in the creek! Larry was the highest bidder on my pet & family photo session in a rousing live auction a few years back at the Stafford Animal Shelter's annual Fur Ball fundraiser...and then he took off to the Bahamas to grow orchids!

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Now he and his wife, Dickey are back and breaking ground on a new home east of Livingston at this stunning location! They love it and so do "The Cabana Boys"...Boomer, Diesel (the goldens) and Otto (the Cardigan Corgi)...

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And there's nothing like concluding a session with a glass of wine served from the trunk of Larry's car, to celebrate the beauty that surrounded us, the love that Larry & Dickey share with one another and their Cabana Boys, and the joy their future holds on a perfect Dog Day Afternoon...

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Here's Dickey's response to their online gallery:

"You are a master! Genius! We love them...will place order tonight!"

...and they did!

At the Country Club

Shooting on location is so much fun!...you never know what you're going to get and you always discover the most beautiful places...

Zipping around in golf carts at the Riverside Country Club, I was thrilled to discover piles upon piles of fall leaves! Perfect. And how much fun!!!...

Tori and Lindsay are some of the sweetest sisters ever! And yep, that's Lindsay...this month's Montana Parent Magazine cover child! My, how she's grown...but she still has those EYES!

And isn't older sister, Tori as cute as pie?

Thanks Kevin and Heather for suggesting the Riverside for your family and child photo session! Loved it! And Heather, I think the leaf stuck in your hair is the absolute perfect touch!