Ian Holmes Photography

Paris has always been on my list of places that I wanted to visit, but a part of me always wanted to save it until I could come with my husband. The city of love... there's just nothing like it! It completely lived up to all of my expectations and I was so lucky to walk the cobblestone streets hand in hand with the one that I love! 

As a photographer, I always get bummed that there are not many photos of us together on our vacations because not many random bystanders know how to handle my DSLR camera. We always end up with blurry and out of focus pictures, so we resort to the iPhone and hope that we are in the frame! My husband and I hadn't had pictures taken of us together since our wedding two years ago, so I started thinking about doing an anniversary session and also incorporate it with our vacation. I got on Google and Instagram and started doing some research about photographers in Paris.  I came across Ian Holmes' website, and knew that I wanted him to take our pictures! His photos looked so effortless and I loved his aesthetic. 

We met Ian at the Torcadéro early one morning and it was an instant connection! He was kind, sarcastic, and made us feel calm in front of the camera. We really enjoyed our morning spent with him and truly felt like we were the only ones in Paris that morning. It was such a beautiful feeling waking up before everyone else did and having the city to yourself! 

We will cherish these pictures for many years to come! Thanks again, Ian! (If you guys are ever in Paris, please reach out to him- he's amazing!)

And to my wonderful husband...I know that you'd rather be hiking mountains and going mountain bike riding, but I appreciate you frolicking around the streets of France with me and eating our weight in croissants. The last 2.5 years with you have been such a wonderful journey and I am grateful to do life with you by my side! I love you!

All images by Ian Holmes Photography

Some of my favorite memories as a child are the ones where my whole family was on vacation together. We would go skiing every Spring Break and then go on a beach vacation in the summer. We were very fortunate to be able to do this, as I know many families cannot afford it. Both of my parents had full-time jobs, so being able to go on vacation with them meant that we got really precious quality time together away from home and away from work. Traveling (near or far) is something that I've always wanted to keep as a priority in my life because of how it challenges me, changes my perspective, and teaches you to slow down (and look up at the pretty buildings) :). 

Although I had to do some convincing on my husband's part, we agreed together that this European trip was one worth taking and that we were in a special place in our life where we could make it happen. When planning what cities we were going to go to, London was one of the first on my list. I know that it's not the most glamorous or adventurous city, but it's always been a city that I've craved to see. We added this to our list and before you know it, we were walking off of the plane at London Heathrow ready to take on our adventure! 

Unfortunately, most of our time in London was spent under an umbrella or dodging the rain, so I didn't bring my camera to many places we went to. As a photographer, I was starting to get really bummed that I wasn't getting "THE" shots that I had been picturing in my head prior to arriving. (Any other photographers feel me??) But, I have to say, it was so nice to be able to hold my husband's hand while walking down these cobblestone streets instead of my camera gear.

We rented the cutest loft via Airbnb in Notting Hill and I was obsessed with it! I loved being able to stay in a neighborhood and walk home to a quiet street at the end of a busy day. It took everything out of me to not just move in!

And yes, we did ride a double decker bus and made fun of ourselves the ENTIRE time. I could not stop giggling about how touristy we felt. My husband loved every minute of it because he LOVES to embarrass me. ;)

London, you stole our hearts. We will see you again.

^^ Living his best life as a tourist haha.

This family was so precious! They are calm, down to earth, and work great as a team! We had so much fun exploring the park as the sun was coming up and we were able to get some beautiful morning light shining through the trees! Sloane was turning one, so we set up a little area to do her cake smash and I love the way it turned out! Sloane's mom brought a beautiful rose colored cake that her friend had made and it's pretty clear that Sloane enjoyed her first bite of cake! Jake and Christy... you two have a beautiful little girl and I loved seeing you two tackle parenthood together. I know parenthood is not always easy, but you guys made it look effortless! (See last picture for reference). Sloane is one lucky little girl! 

All newborn sessions are special to me. New moms and dads welcome me into their most intimate moments as their new baby has just been welcomed into their home and into their lives and suddenly their lives have changed for the better. I am so appreciative for all of my clients who have allowed me into this personal space of theirs to capture images for them that will last a lifetime. This newborn session was super special because it happened on Mother's Day, and the mom was a first time mother! It was so special to be able to tell her "Happy Mother's Day!" as she opened the front door holding her new, perfect, and precious little baby! 

After losing my own mom, Mother's Day becomes a difficult and confusing holiday to celebrate. It's a day of mixed emotions for me and I never really know how I am going to feel until that day. I love the thought of celebrating my mom on Mother's Day and doing/eating things that we would have done had she still been here. But I have the be honest, the second I log onto Instagram and see everyone else with their moms, I find my tune suddenly changing. It's so amazing to see everyone honor their mom and dedicate a day to pamper her (because moms deserve all of the recognition that they can get), but I just wish I could pamper my mom one last time! 

On this Mother's Day though, my attention was drawn to this new mom as she started her journey into motherhood! Isn't that what Mother's Day is all about? Not only recognizing YOUR mom, but all of the other incredible women out there that are putting their baby's needs before theirs and putting in many hours of sleepless nights, late night feedings, and unconditional love? Now, THAT is how I want to celebrate Mother's Day every year! 

Jess, you are an amazing mommy and Emmie is so lucky to have you in her life. I've never seen a baby look at their mom the way that she looks at you...it's an instant connection and bond that will never be denied! You and Dave have such a beautiful little family and I cannot wait to photograph Emmie again in a few months! 

Jess and Dave purchased my Wonderfully Made package that includes three sessions: maternity, newborn, and milestone. If you'd like to book your first year package, go to the contact page at the top so we can be in touch!