Form submitted successfully, thank you.

Error submitting form, please try again.

speckled bird art – real. life. captured. bio picture

the speckled bird art blog

I am a modern family photographer. At your photo session, expect to play. Expect to be silly. Expect this to be a completely different photo session than you have ever experienced before. My goal is to capture real life and those genuine smiles, soulful eyes, laughter, (and sometimes tears) that encompass the richness and fulness of the lives we lead. We each have a story to tell, and I hope to capture for you a glimpse of that story.

Whether you want to remember the excitement of your engagment and wedding, anticipation surrounding your pregnancy, the freshness of your newborn, the giggles of your baby, the newfound independence of your toddler, the joy of childhood, or the personality of your high school senior, Speckled Bird Art Photography will capture each important milestone of your life in a creative, unique, and artistic way.

Check out the website in the PORTFOLIO section above, and send me an email to book your unforgettable photo session with me. I can't wait to meet you.

Mission Photographer | Africa | The Redeemer House

This is what it’s all about. These are the Hands of Hope, linking Uganda to the US. Noah, on the left, is the “House Uncle” for the Redeemer House. He absolutely ADORED Colby, becoming friends with him right away. In Uganda, holding hands means you are very close friends. These two became friends right away.

Sunday after church, we walked back to the Redeemer house and spent the day there… This is my friend, Rebecca. She took to me right away… we had a great day together and she decided she wanted to name me a very special name…

So she did. “Fat Mom.” AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Rick and Wendi and Colby passed out soccer jerseys to the children and they played a couple games in the yard…

then I got to pass out the backpacks to all the children. They were an incredible hit!! This is Joshua. He loved his toys and school supplies, adn he VERY MUCH LOVED his backpack. He would not take it off :)

We continued to be able to bless the Redeemer House, and bought them some furniture and shelving for the house.

and each child got their own shelf with a personalized basket so they can store some of their own belongings, and so each of them can have a sense of identity.

This is where they sleep. This is Saida. She has Malaria right now. She had to go to the clinic with Noah to get an injection and medicine. She will be okay.

We had such an amazingly incredible day filled with love for the kids. Noah has a small flock of chickens in the back yard that are his pride and joy… and he went out back with Colby and they caught one of them! Noah presented it to Colby as a gift for his friendship (this is HUGE. Noah LOVES those chickens). He wanted Colby to take it back to the US. We had to explain that the airlines would not let us do that, but that Colby was so thankful for the thoughtful gift. He did ask if Noah could show him how they kill and prepare a chicken for dinner, so Noah chose one of his other chickens (not the best one that he was giving as a gift to Colby) and took it out back and showed us just how he kills it. I will spare the blog readers the details (and the photos) of that experience, but I will say that it was pretty fascinating, and I can now confidently say that if I had to, I would be able to prepare my own chicken. :)

Church with Redeemer House | AFRICA | Mission Trip Photographer

This is Patrick. We met him at a gas station and he navigated us to Redeemer House. It’s a good thing he did, too, because it would have been tough to find it! We did some 4×4 driving over roads that were completely washed out and gutted by rainwater. Patrick is an amazing kid – 20 years old and recently orphaned, he doesn’t want to let his lot in life get him down. He works and goes to school and pays for his own education when he can. He always has a smile on his face because he says smiling keeps him young. Smart kid.

When we got to Redeemer house, it was time for church. The children walked to church and we followed – about a mile down the road, to a shack in the middle of a clearing. It was here we got to experience Grace Miracle Ministries International, an amazing African church that has forever changed my perspective on praise and worship.

Here it was all about singing joyfully unto the Lord. We sang, we danced, we clapped, we jumped, we waved our arms, and we experienced the most intensely God – centered church session in our lives. It was awesome!

The little ones love Rick, of course…

and after church, we walked back to Redeemer House so we could spend the day with the children, giving them gifts and showing them love. :)

More on the day later… check back soon. This next one is gonna be a good one!

Mission Trip Photographer | AFRICA | Loving on Some Babies

I wanted to post so many more pictures from our visit with the babies, but at least here are a few from there…

Colby was so good with the kiddos…

and Uncle G got to love on Daniel…

Wendi made one of the little ones smile, too… :)

Every night visitors can come in and help take care of the babies. We were so lucky to be able to take part in that experience, and we hope that time permits us to be able to go back and do it again. Today we are going to visit Redeemer House. This is the orphanage we are partnering with. We are buying bunk beds for the home, providing all sorts of sports supplies and clothes, and are going to just love on those children too. Lots more to come! Thank you so much for reading!!

Adoption Photographer | Africa | Getting to Uganda

Getting to Uganda…

I had 14 pictures from this leg to share, but I will settle for these two right now. This is when we got off our plane in Uganda, just before going through Immigration. $50 later, we had our Ugandan Visa! Then at baggage claim, ALL our bags arrived! Not one was lost! WOOHOO!

Just outside the door, we met Emmanuel, Rick’s friend from his last mission trip here. Emmanuel is our driver and guide while we are here, and he is a remarkable man. We are so lucky to have him to get us where we need to go, safely!

We are staying at the Namirembe Guest house. There are 7 of us sharing one bunk room, filled corner to corner with 6 beds (Wendi and Colby shared a bed). Our bags, donation supplies, mosquito nets, and sleeping bags made the room quite full and quite cozy! Rick went back to the airport with Emmanuel to pick up Anthony and Bianca, the last two members of our party, who came in on a flight a couple hours later than us. They almost ended up missing each other… Rick saw them leaving with a different driver and called out across the airport just as they turned the corner to go outiside – and, thankfully, they heard him! Whew!

That evening, we walked down the hill to the Sanyu Babies Home, a place for abandoned and destitute infants and toddlers. We were a little late to rock the babies to sleep, but we got to help out with some of the toddlers and love on them and rock them. It was so sweet!

Right as we were ready to leave, we got to experience the Uganda Rainy Season. The skies opened up and  a downpour of Biblical proportions took place. This was a true Flash Flood! Water was pummelling down, the road and the gullies around it turned into rivers, and everything was soaked instantly. We tried to wait it out, but when nothing would let up, we just decided to stick it through and walk back up the hill to the hotel. Within seconds we were soaked completely through our clothes! By the time we returned to the hotel, we just went to dinner without changing because the restaurant was across the campus anyway and even if we had changed we would have been soaked again!

Dinner was amazing – chicken, beef, steamed rice, pasta, potatoes, yams, avocados, and the most amazing fresh pineapple ever. It was so good to eat such good food! We all came back in to the hotel to settle for the night and I have been trying to post this blog post for several hours. I think this is God’s way of making me really understand the passage in James 1 that I studied on the plane yesterday - so I am considering all the little things going wrong as part of the PURE JOY of this trip! Also I think God is trying to test my patience in getting this blog post to work. For anyone that knows me, patience is not my strong suit. ;)

I have so many more photos to share, but I just can’t risk losing Internet again, so I will just leave with these couple pictures… know that there are so many I want to add, and hopefully I can do so at some point here; if not, there will be lots more photos to share when I return!

Thank you so much for reading and following! We will check in again as soon as we can.

Adoption Photographer | AFRICA | We made it to Uganda!

After a day and a half of traveling, four separate flights, an entire novel (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) read on the plane, and two in-plane movies, we have arrived safely in Uganda! Not only that, but ALL OF OUR BAGS arrived, too! This is a first for this team, who, on every past trip has had at least one bag go missing. Not this one, baby! Jesus has got our backs! :)

Our driver and in-country guide, Emmanuel, met us at the airport and took us to our hotel… the Namirembe Guest House. We are in a room with six twin beds with some lovely mosquito nets hanging overhead each bed. And apparently here in Uganda, it’s still the rainy season… meaning the mosquitos come out in full force at night. This time, on the advice of some local missionaries, we went the herbal remedy/natural route as well as coating ourselves with some strong bug repellent for our preventative malaria treatment. We are hoping that, in conjunction with lots of prayer (just saying, readers… haha!), will keep the mosquitos away.

So I have lots of pictues to post, but this Internet connection is seriously sketchy… I will do my best to get them posted ASAP when I can find more reliable service! In the meantime, thank you ALL for your prayers and positive thoughts sent to us! We can feel you uplifting us from halfway around the world! :)

Adoption Photographer | AFRICA | On Our Way

The day has arrived, and I am on another incredible journey. This morning I left Las Vegas for Sacramento to see my friends, Rick and Wendi Cross.

 Rick went to Ethiopia last year on a mission trip, and it was there that he fell in love with a boy at the orphanage. Although they already have 4 children of their own, he knew that God was calling them to adopt Nebeyu. After returning home, he discussed it with Wendi and she knew that this was what they were called to do… and so began the long, arduous process known as International Adoption.

 Several home studies, paperwork filings, grant applications, fundraisers, prayers, and $26,000 later, Nebeyu is about to become their newest, and oldest, son. He will be sharing a room with their original oldest, Colby.

The Cross Family will soon become a Party of Seven, and their oldest child will be coming home in ten days.  

 The family saved a space for Nebeyu’s feet so we can take this picture again when he arrives at his home.

Can you imagine what will be going through his mind when he gets here? Leaving everything he ever knew and going halfway across the world to this place – this beautiful home with brothers and a sister and a mom and a dad… and, thanks to Wendi, he will also be coming home to a chore chart :) – just one thing that will help him feel as though he is just as part of the family as everyone else. They know the transition will be tough on him, but they want him to know that he belongs with them. I think that’s so cool! 

The goodbyes were next, and thankfully the kids are in wonderful hands with Wendi’s mom taking care of them.  

 The boys are so excited to meet their big brother…

We packed up the expedition to the brim… believe it or not, over half of what is in this vehicle won’t be returning with us. We are taking so many donations for the orphanages and street children in Uganda and Ethiopia… this trip is so much more than an adoption. We are going to be missionaries, too. 

 It was time for Rick to say goodbye the best way he knew how… with a toss in the air for each of his kiddos…

 

Then we loaded into the car… Wendi’s cousin, Gerald, is joining us on the trip. Gerald is a crack-up!

We stopped at McDonalds for one last taste of American junk food…

and we drove to San Francisco…

We even got to cross the Bay Bridge. The toll booth operator asked us where we were going… when we told him Africa, he said he is from Nigeria and he wished us all the best on our trip! ;)

At the airport, we unpacked the nine 50 pound bags that we would be checking through, and said goodbye to Uncle Willy, our driver :)

The check-in agent at the airport was excited to hear that our final destination was Uganda, since he is from Kenya, one of the bordering countries! Another cool moment!

Rick had a small snack to tide himself over for the flight.

And we got to the gate and saw our plane!! This is really happening!!!!

Woohoo!!

Wendi and I decided to be row-mates!

Gerald hung out across from us and made a new friend in the seat next to him. In fact, everywhere he goes, he makes new friends instantly!

Rick and Colby had the Man Row in front of Wendi and I…

and after flying all night, we arrived in Washington, DC as the sun rose!

In DC, we headed to the international gate…

and we checked in at Ethiopian Airlines!

How cool is their colorful logo?

And we got our boarding passes… one for Addis Ababa, and the other one for the next leg on to Entebbe, Uganda. We will have a quick refueling stop in Rome on the way.

Wendi and I decided to freshen up a bit for the next leg of the flight… at least now our teeth are brushed! haha!

And we are getting ready in a few minutes to board the plane to Ethiopia, where the real adventure begins! I will do my best to continue updating daily (or whenever I have Internet access!!!)… please check back, and thank you for reading!

Las Vegas Newborn Photographer | Louie and Ashley welcome baby Gianna Grace

It was only a couple of weeks ago that I photographed Louie and Ashley for their maternity pictures… imagine my surprise when just days later they called saying their beautiful baby girl was born, healthy and beautiful (even though she was almost a month early!). Welcome to the world, little Gianna Grace.

This little beauty tipped the scales at 5 pounds when she was born! She’s just so petite and perfect. And her daddy is absolutely in love…

So is mommy. I love this “family” shot here…

And from the look on Gianna’s face, I think she’s pretty happy to be here too ♥

Her little tiny feet are just so cute and perfect! I love that you can just make out the pinprick mark from one of her newborn tests on the bottom of her heel…

And of course, I had to do a reenactment of THIS SHOT from last session…

Her little outfit says “couldn’t wait”… I know that Louie and Ashley couldn’t wait to meet her, either!

Congratulations to you both on your absolutely BEAUTIFUL new family! ♥

Las Vegas Maternity and Family Photography | Claudia and her Girls

When Claudia called me to photograph her family, I was thrilled! She has two beautiful daughters already…

… and she is pregnant with Daughter Number Three!

Her big sisters cannot wait to meet the newest member of the family!

And for the entire time I was at the house, I was laughing. These girls have SUCH fun personalities! They kept me cracking up constantly!

And then, we’d get amazing family shots like this one. I’d blow this one up HUGE in my house!

And just when we thought everyone was relaxing, hilarity would once again ensue, thanks to the antics of a certain 3-year old!

I love family feet… ♥

and I love just how much her hubby adores her. ♥ ♥ ♥

Claudia, I am so excited for your family and I cannot wait to meet the newest little one! Congratulations to all of you!

Las Vegas Baby Photographer | Sweet Baby A and her Family

Photographing this beautiful little baby girl was the highlight of last weekend for me! She was just absolutely precious. And how much do I love those Speckled Birds on her mobile?? SWOON!!!!

Las Vegas Baby Photographer

Even though she had just had her shots the day before, Little Baby A was all smiles for me…

Las Vegas Family Photographer

And at 3 months old, she was ALL ABOUT tummy time. ♥

On Location Family Photography Las Vegas

And I think it’s quite obvious… mom and dad are *smitten* by their beautiful girl.

Modern Family Photography Las Vegas

With so much personality, she had me in love, too!

Baby Photography Las Vegas

There were just a couple moments where her brow furrowed and she wasn’t happy… but the minute Dad put her into his “magic hold”, all was right in her world. :)

Infant Photography Las Vegas

And sweet Baby A was happy once again… ♥

Las Vegas Infant Photographer

Thank you so much, Natricia and Mark, for a wonderful morning with your family! Enjoy your little preview!

Las Vegas Wedding Photographer | Lisa and Bill | A Rainy Day in Paris

I was so excited to have Lisa and Bill contact me to do their wedding pictures. They were coming into Las Vegas from Florida for their ceremony, and had picked the beautiful Paris Hotel for their wedding venue. Even though their wedding chapel came with a photographer, they decided to hire me to capture the fun of “just married in Vegas” after their wedding.

Paris Hotel Wedding Photography

It’s my very favorite kind of wedding photography! The pressure of the ceremony is off, and the bride and groom can just enjoy being husband and wife…

Las Vegas Wedding Photography

We spent a little time in and around the hotel grounds, because honestly The Paris is amazing! And God was definitely smiling on this couple… it had been POURING RAIN all morning, but when we went outside for our session, the rain had stopped!

Wedding Couples Photography Las Vegas

I love pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower! ♥

Las Vegas Wedding Pictures Eiffel Tower

These two are seriously such a cute couple!

Eiffel Tower Wedding Pictures

And they didn’t even hesitate when I asked them to show a little love to one another… :)

Las Vegas Couples Photographer

And seriously. GORGEOUS DRESS. GORGEOUS FLOWERS. GORGEOUS RINGS.

Las Vegas Bridal Photographer

oh…. and GORGEOUS BRIDE. ♥

Bridal Portraits Las Vegas

Here is my most favorite capture of the day… I love the way you can see her reflection in the limo…

Modern Wedding Photography Las Vegas

And a little kiss for good measure!

Unique Wedding Pictures Las Vegas

What’s a Vegas wedding without a little fun in the casino?? :)

Las Vegas Wedding Casino Pictures

We also had some fun outside with the whole wedding party…

Modern Wedding Photography

These guys were SO MUCH FUN!

Modern Wedding Photography in Las Vegas

We also found some willing and able security guards to stage a super funny picture… :)

Las Vegas Funny Wedding Images

and then we piled into the Limo Bus for a ride around the strip!

Las Vegas Bride and Groom in Limo

Naturally we stopped at the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign!

Las Vegas Sign Wedding Party Photography

WOOHOO!!! Still no rain!!!

Wedding Portraits at the Las Vegas Sign

My other most Favorite Shot of the Day:

Las Vegas Wedding Photographer Jessie Baldwin

After the Vegas sign, it was off to the Bellagio for some pictures in front of the fountains…

Modern Fresh Wedding Photography Las Vegas

We started to feel a few sprinkles here, but we pressed on! The show was about to start!

Las Vegas Wedding Party Portraits

And, finally, at dusk, we got to see the beautiful fountains.

Wedding Portraits Bellagio Fountains

A perfect end to a wonderful day!

Bellagio Fountains Wedding Pictures

We all piled back into the limo bus just as the rain began falling once again. Perfect timing! And of course, rain on your wedding day is supposed to be super lucky. Hopefully some of that luck helped them win in the casino! ♥

Congratulations on a wonderful wedding, Bill and Lisa! May you be blessed with years of happiness ahead.