michelle guerra photography

moved sites...

2010-10-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

ok, i've moved sites.
#1- i wanted to simplify the look of my site
#2- no one knows how to spell "guerra" so i've simplified the address :)
my new site is at -
www.mlgphoto.blogspot.com

Kyle, Morgan and Jase

2010-10-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

The whole time I went through editing pictures, I kept thinking, 'this family is adorable!!' And the little boy, cute! He was a little slow to warm up to the camera, but do you really need a smile when you have eyes like those?! I say, no! In fact, I apologize for having sooo many of the little guy. He may have been a little reluctant to smile, but he sure knew how to work the camera! All in all- a family possessing the talent of photogenic-ness (is that a word?). :)

Temple Weddings...

2010-10-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

I've been sitting here looking at some of my favorite photographers' blogs dreaming of photographing a wedding at a temple. I don't anticipate doing one anytime soon, but if anyone out there (especially from Utah or Arizona- what can I say, I have family there) :) is looking for a deal on some wedding photography, we might be able to strike up a deal. This could be win-win. I get to see family and fulfill another dream of mine. And you get a good deal on pictures and hopefully love the work I do. Just sayin' :)

Lynnae and Ryan

2010-10-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

No, they're not engaged. But don't these pictures look it! I couldn't get them to stop kissing in these pictures! Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but hey, I have Wilkins blood in me and Wilkins like to embellish their stories a little...makes things a little more interesting ya know :) Anyways, here's the pictures Lynnae...finally. You've been patient with me. You two make a cute couple. And Ryan, we sure enjoyed having you out here. We hope there will be plenty more of that ;)

The Marshalls

2010-10-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

We love the Marshalls! My husband works with Steve Marshall and we have a lot of respect for him and his family. They're just the kind of people that we think were placed in our path by a divine hand. Enjoy some pictures of their beautiful family taken over labor day weekend (yeah, yeah, i know...I've been slacking on picture posting).

Lynnae- teaser pic

2010-09-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

My sister was home for the weekend with her boyfriend. We took some pics of them out on my parents farm. She's been DYING to see them, but I've been busy and haven't got to them yet. So until then sis, here's a teaser pic.

Stephanie-senior pics

2010-09-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

This girl is a natural beauty and naturally photogenic...and I don't think she even knows it! When we were getting ready to take pictures, she said she'd need me to tell her what to do. Not so! I might've told her a few things, but she'd whip out these camera perfect smiles and looks. In fact, almost every picture we took was a keeper. How does she do it? I don't know, but it sure makes my job easier...(well, and harder 'cause there's more pictures to edit). :)

Lacy and Casey- sister pics

2010-09-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

It was a dark, stormy day...sounds like the perfect beginning to a fairytale doesn't it? Well, how 'bout the beginning of a photo shoot? Serious. On my way to this shoot I was listening to the radio and they were naming off nearby areas that were under tornado watch. Lucky for us, it only threatened rain. And even luckier- it didn't begin to rain until we got to our cars. And then it poured!

But on another note, aren't they cute girls!? I took Lacy's pictures a few months back and have since then become quite good friends with her. These pictures were my birthday gift to her. Happy belated birthday Lacy! And it was so good to finally meet you Casey!

The Ferguson Family

2010-08-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

Cute family, huh? She does hair...and she sells cute little hair things that she makes (check out the one on her daughter). People like that are always destined to have cute little families and be especially cute in pictures too. Maybe I should've went to hair school? :)
(I'll see if I can get a link from her to pass on with you all so you can see some of the cute stuff she sells...I think she's on etsy...to be continued...)

Ashley & David- wedding day

2010-08-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

This was my first time photographing a wedding. And I loved it! Anyone that knows me, knows that I'm a faithful journal keeper. I love recording my personal history. I also love reading my family history. And I even occasionally enjoy watching the history channel. There's something beautiful about history to me. And as I photographed this wedding, I felt as if I were getting to record a piece of it, but not with pen and paper, with my camera. Thanks Ashley and David. And may these pictures be a beautiful beginning to your own personal history.

The Hawes Family

2010-08-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. Taking pictures at midday intimidates me. It just so happened that this family got stuck in Kansas City traffic and our morning photo shoot turned into an afternoon one. It was a hot and humid, bright and sunny. Okay, I'm making this sound horrible, but actually we had a lot of fun and I left wishing they lived closer. I would totally want to hang out with this family. Actually, would you believe I grew up in the same town as the mom of this family? I'm a few years older so we never knew each other that well (& I was also very shy) :) Somehow we both ended up in Missouri. Crazy.
Anyways, thank you Hawes for making the trek down and braving the road to my parents farm. Thank you for helping me face one of my fears. And thank you for having such a beautiful family which will hopefully hide some of my shortcomings as a noonday photographer. (As soon as we get through with this move, I'm hitting my books about flash photography again...always things to learn and weaknesses to overcome).

Ok, you can look now...

2010-08-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

Ashley and David are now married!! Yay! They were married this past Saturday, so it's now safe to reveal these bridals. Isn't Ashley a beautiful bride? Come back and see the wedding pictures in a few days...hopefully (things are a little crazy 'round here. I'll be moving soon) :)

The Goodsons, Thoms, etc., etc...

2010-08-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

You ever meet someone who makes you crack a smile when you see them, or you just want to laugh even before they tell a joke? (And when I say smile or laugh, it's smile in a good- haha you're funny, I love your personality way...not meant as an insult). Anyways, that's how I've felt every time I get around Christy's family. They are just so funny to me and they have a way of making me feel so comfortable around them. And they're so fun to watch how they interact with each other. I just think they must have a lot of fun as a family.

Well, I should've known that the rest of the bunch would be just the same. From the get go I felt like I was among friends. This family is F-U-N! And it shows through in the pictures...(and I don't know what family could actually wear outfits that match the scenery and still pull it off good- we realized at the end that we had a lot of nature colors going on. lol) :)

Aubrey - senior pictures

2010-07-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Aubrey is a senior this year! Yay! (Besides the heat/humidity) we had a lot of fun taking these pictures. Aubrey is comfortable in front of the camera and it shows- check out how she worked the camera! Beautiful!

The Thedells

2010-07-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love big families! I do. Maybe I'm biased...I am, after all, from a family of 8 kids. But with big families, there's always something exciting going on. This family was no exception. They had a recent graduate, a new family with a new baby, young love, a recent returned missionary, those starting a new school year, and the more seasoned veterans at the head of it all. Families truly can be a gift from God and what a great example they were of how family life is meant to be.

The Sherwoods

2010-07-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Marisa and I have one thing in common- we love photography! (Well, actually, we're both from Arizona too...) In fact, she's thinking of breaking into doing photos for others as well. Anyways, one day we went to the park just to play with our cameras. These are just a few random photos I took of her kids and they were just too cute to pass up posting on here.

Trace

2010-07-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

This is Trace. His mom was our banker (that is, until she had to switch banks to shorten her commute :(...we miss her). We bonded over our babies. Hers was new, mine was still in the oven. We were going to take pictures of this little guy long ago, but life happened and the pictures didn't. Fortunately, we were able to get some 1 year old pics taken just this last Saturday. Isn't he the cutest little cowboy you've ever seen?

The Winston family

2010-07-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

A family of all girls, it's gotta be a great family. Okay, okay...I might be a little biased (I have 5 sisters). No, but seriously, they were a fun family to take pictures of. And on a personal note, Jess has worked with my husband for the past year and we've always been so impressed with her- hard worker, kind person, beautiful girl. People like that don't happen on accident. Good families produce people like that.

No Peeking David!

2010-07-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

Tsk tsk tsk...bad luck to see the bride before the wedding David! We took Ashley's bridals this past week. I'm so excited to post them, but we have a groom that can't help but sneak a peek at the dress if I post the pictures, so until then, this is all we get. But come back in the beginning of August for the bridals and the wedding pictures.

Chris and Lacy...and kids :)

2010-06-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

Things started out a little rocky with this photo shoot...yep, I was a typical girl driver and underestimated the shoulder of the road and got myself stuck. One wheel of my car was actually not touching the ground, I was so stuck! Luckily, they were well equipped to tow me out and were kind enough to do so.
Despite the rocky start, we had so much fun! You ever meet people and you feel an instant bond? That was me with this little group. Great people, great style and oh so beautiful!

The Branvolds

2010-06-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

It was sooo very hot and humid this day (even at 9 am). I, myself, was constantly wiping the beads of sweat from my forehead and I was dressed in more summer conducive clothes in comparison! But you wouldn't know it to look at this beautiful family. They were troupers...even if some of them had to be bribed with promises of stickers and earrings. I also got to take a few extra of their daughter for her one year old birthday. Precious, that one is.

Liam

2010-06-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Okay...very long post. Yes, I know. I've been meaning to put up pictures that I'd taken of my son for awhile. As you can see, this is an accumulation of pictures from different days. And yes, he probably is the most photographed baby ever. I think I've taken more pictures of him in the last 4 months of his life than I've had of me for my whole lifetime. Awe...the joy of digital photography :)

Baby Kayla

2010-06-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Look out Sarah! I think I saw my son eyeing this one as I edited the pictures. She's a cutey and almost the same age as my son. He's gonna have some cute girls to take out on dates when he gets older...that is, if these girls will let him. :)

David & Ashley- engagements

2010-06-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun taking David & Ashley's engagement pics. I had several ideas that I'd been dying to try out and they were the perfect couple. I think my favorite pictures of them are by the lake (...the lake was their idea). Thanks guys. You look and were great!

Taylor & Kelsi

2010-06-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

Do these girls look familiar? Maybe because they look a little like their sister Rachelle. They came along for the ride when we took maternity pictures of her, and they were just too beautiful to pass up photographing...even if they hadn't gotten ready for the day (that's the reason there's more pictures of one of the sisters over the other. I promise I'm not biased!). But don't you just hate people who can get away with doing that?!

Rachelle- maternity pictures

2010-06-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

Rachelle is pregnant with her first. But what makes this extra special is these pictures are a father's day present for her husband who has been deployed to Afghanistan (actually, now that I'm typing this, I'm doubting myself and hoping it's not Iraq...well, somewhere over there in the middle east). Anyways...doesn't she make a pregnant belly look beautiful!?!

Serenaded photos...

2010-06-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

Um...singing? Who are these people and what are they singing? That would be my husband and two sisters.
It was a lazy, sunday afternoon and I headed out to the hay field with my camera and sister. Soon we were joined by my husband, guitar in hand. (His serenading made the photo taking extra fun). Following my husband came Lynnae and Chris. I couldn't resist using them as my subjects. No, they aren't engaged, but they should be after all the serenading from my husband and two sisters. We laughed as this trio sang "Kiss Me", "Kiss the Girl", and "Going to the Chapel". One things for sure, he has earned rite of passage into our family by how well he has handled all the teasing.

Gone Out Fishin'

2010-06-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

Fishing on the farm pond. Not the biggest pond. Not the biggest catches. Fun regardless.

A Mother Who Knows

2010-06-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

This is my sister Sheena. She's pregnant with their third child. Even from when she was little Sheena has always loved babies more than anyone else I know. We were all excited to find out she was pregnant. And now, we've all cried with her as she's learned that this baby has a rare condition called triploidy. This means the baby will not live. I don't know why this would happen to her, one who's always had a soft spot for children in her heart, but God knows. And although Sheena's heart is breaking, her faith that God knows remains strong. Sheena is a "mother who knows".

"When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children... Mothers who know are nurturers... Mothers who know are leaders... Mothers who know are always teachers... (Mothers who know) do not give up during difficult and discouraging times... Mother who know desire to bear children." -Julie B. Beck

Sarah

2010-05-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

What's going on here you ask? Love at first sight. This little girl is a few months older than my son and my husband has teased this family that one day Sarah and our son will get married. The only problem, Sarah Guerra...sort of like Julia Gulia. Well, if it is true love, they'll work it out.
But in all seriousness, we had absolutely nothing to do with the hand holding. That was their own doing and it was too cute to pass up snapping some pictures. And the other pictures...aren't they adorable! Just look at those eyes! (Luckily we got her out of the grass just in time to catch some ticks sneaking up on her mom...all after I said we hadn't seen any ticks or chiggers. Whoops!)

The Duncans

2010-05-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. It's not fair that so much beauty can belong to one family. Truly fun to photograph!

The Eskelsons

2010-05-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

Not only is this a BEAUTIFUL family, but so much fun! I loved taking these pictures and could leave commentary for each one, but since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll let them speak for themselves.

my gorgeous sister and adorable nephew!

2010-05-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that I used to live with these two! I used to watch my nephew when my sister had classes. He was so tiny then, and now look at him! And my sister...she was my best friend growing up. Can't say I favor any sister over the other now, but we'll always have a special bond because of the things we've gone through and experienced together. I love you two! (& aren't they stinkin' photogenic?!)

The Axams

2010-05-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not a packrat, but when it comes to pictures, I admit I'm a packrat. I try to keep the pictures in my posts to a minimum, but I can never do it...too many cute ones. And for this family, they were no exception. So many cute pics. I need to find less photogenic people to photograph.

Stockton Prom

2010-05-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

This last Saturday was prom in Stockton. I got to be there to take pictures of the parade of dresses, up-dos and tuxes.
If you're a student from Stockton, feel free to download some of these pics. (Right click on the picture, click "Save Image As", and ta-da, it's yours)... And for those of you that will be seniors next year, remember me when it comes time for senior picstures. I'm probably the most affordable photographer you'll find and we can do multiple locations and clothes changes so you get senior pictures you'll love!

The Humphreys

2010-05-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...there is A LOT of pictures in this post! It was a beautiful setting and a beautiful family and I couldn't decide so...(& believe me, there's still more great ones that I had to leave off).

The Wittwer family

2010-05-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

The Goodman kids!

2010-04-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

I know this is a lot of pictures, but there were so many cute ones to choose from (I have about 220 pictures from this photo session)! Aren't these kids adorable?!

Will and Katharine- engagements

2010-04-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

Gracie Sue

2010-04-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

nieces and nephew

2010-04-07T21:49:00.000-07:00

Lynnae

2010-03-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

Karen, Gary and Asher

2009-12-15T20:05:00.000-08:00

Karen is the receptionist at Chad's office. I had so much fun this last weekend taking pictures of her and her husband with their grandson. I had a tough time deciding which pictures to post because there were so many cute ones! Here's a sampling of some of my favorites.

Jess & Brian

2009-12-15T19:06:00.000-08:00

Jessica is one of Chad's dental assistants. I got to take pics of her and her boyfriend this last Friday. They are such a cute couple! In fact, I think they're one of those couples that almost look alike :)

Christy & Sue's families

2009-12-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

I told Chad's staff that I'd take free pictures for them. This last weekend I took pictures of Christy's (our hygentist) kids and Sue's (one of the dental assistants) family pictures. Here's a few of the pictures from those shoots that I love best!

Sue's family-

And here's Christy's kids-

More Lydia Lou

2009-11-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, so maybe her name isn't Lydia Lou, but doesn't it have a nice ring to it? It's my nickname for her. :) I took these one afternoon when I was visiting Kyra. I was initially sad to hear that Lydia was down for a nap, but my disappointment left when I saw this little angel sleeping.

The Pugmires

2009-11-26T22:02:00.000-08:00

The Pugmires are friends we have from our ward. I took these one Sunday when they came over for dinner at my parent's house. Aren't they a photogenic couple? :)

Small town pictures

2009-11-21T22:24:00.001-08:00

I've been dying to take pictures in this cute, little town!! I finally found someone to be my guinea pig...thanks Lynnae! Not only did she pose for me, but she took pictures of me too. Anyways, I think she looks beautiful, but maybe I'm a little biased since she is my little sister. Gotta love family! My next victimn- my sister Kelsi...