karson michael riggs

handsome karson- age 2. our last photoshoot before he was unable to come off his bi-pap  (breathing machine)

karson's funeral 1/18

i just wanted to check in and say sorry if you've tried to get a hold of me this week and i've not returned your call or e-mail, everything has kinda been on hold.

our sweet little buddy karson returned to live with our heavenly father last thursday after a tough battle with spinal muscular atrophy type one. we loved every second if the 2 years and 8 months we spent with this guy and will miss him every second we're apart from him. however, i have know that karson is free- no doubt running, jumping and  breathing DEEP. and for that, i am happy, thankful, and at peace.

karson's parents are some of our very best friends (really, FAMILY) so this has obviously been a very emotional and busy week, preparing for his beautiful funeral and saying our last goodbyes to this very special little man.

there are a million things i want and need to say about karson, mostly about his life, but also a few sweet things about his passing. he was an increadible little boy... i will be going into more detail on my family blog.

also, can i just say that i have NEVER been more grateful for the power of photographs than i have been this week? NEVER. it made me so happy to see photographs EVERYWHERE at his funeral and putting together his slideshow brought me so much joy- we had a loooot of photoshoots together, karson and i, and now we treasure each and every photo of him. i photographed his funeral as well and i'll never forget the words of one of our friends- "well, you've documented his entire life. i guess it only makes sense to do it for him today too." karson, it was an honor.

and also, can i ask of you  just one small favor?

PRAY.

please say a few extra prayers for our dear friends Darren, Jody and Hadley that they can have peace during this time. because no matter how much you know that it was his time and that he's where he should be, losing your two year old son and brother is something i can't even fathom. if my own heart is broken, how must they feel?

Thank you.

Karson's blog HERE.
Obituary HERE.
My previous posts about our buddy HERE and HERE.

jalene + lincoln wed, part II

are you so excited to see the rest of this wedding?! well, you should be. it was FAB-U-LOUS! jalene put a ton of work into all of the details and they were all just perfect. the reception was at rice eccles tower and i loved everything about it- the light was so beautiful and j+l really transformed the space to fit their style. 

needless to say, the flowers were gorgeous and i especially loved the vintage cameras at every table paired with their bridal and engagement photos. jalene is a photographer too, so their bridals, engagements and personal photos were a big part of the decor. jalene's dad is also a photographer and ALL the cameras are his! it's quite the collection, i must say. 

 jalene displayed old family photos and a lot of really beautiful family heirlooms like the typewriter (+ a beautiful letter written to lincoln!), sewing machine, vintage suitcases and books and mixed them with modern details, like the "FOR LIKE EVER" poster. genius, yea?

 

jalene's ring- GORGEOUS (good job linc!). and these are probably some of my favorite ring shots. =)

such a pretty gift table- and the card holder? LOVE!

 it's tradition for jalene's cousins to perform a crazy dance number at all the family weddings. we were all rolling, and jalene and lincoln even jumped in for part of it. i seriously could have done a whole post just on their dance...

and then, j+l surprised everyone by perfoming a little dance of their own... the ross and monica dance from friends! 

 

it. was. HILARIOUS!!! and  you probably,definitely,cannot,should not miss Nate's video clip of it too. you will even see my little head pop up at the end...

First Dance from Nathan Pickett on Vimeo.

and then the dance party really started! i love a reception with a good dance party.

 photo booth...

jalene and lincoln! i'm so sad this is the end of your wedding posts... you were an absolute dream to work with and photograph. thanks for hanging in there with me while i was like 11 months pregnant- the experience was unforgettable. ;


and  p.s. here's jalene and lincoln's reception video by nate pickett! amazing as usual nate. =)


Rice Eccles: Reception from Nathan Pickett on Vimeo.

mentoring sessions...

i have had so many nice e-mails lately regarding one on one mentoring, thank you! i absolutely LOVE mentoring, there is something so exciting about helping someone see the light (literally and figuratively!) and grow their talent and business. of course i will be showing you the ins and outs of what i do, but my goal is to help you develop your own style and look. during mentorting sessions we work on whatever YOU want to work on, and usually divide time between one or two shoots, post processing and business discussions. a few topics we usually cover are: camera technique, lighting, posing, composition, workflow, processing, blogging, client relationships, marketing, and pricing. but as i said, the great part about one on one mentoring is that we focus on YOUR needs and goals. 

***

mentoring is an investment in yourself as an artist and your business. when i was getting started, there just wasn't a lot available in terms of classes and workshops. which lead me to a LOT hard work and sleepless nights trying to figure out everything for myself. it's taken me years to get where i'm at, but if i could have taken a workshop or mentoring session, i could have saved myself so much time and effort and jump started my career. it drives me crazy thinking of the time i wasted, blindly making the same mistakes shoot after shoot. don't you hate that? 

mentoring sessions begin at 4 hours for $500, and additional time is $100 per hour. because everyone's needs are different, you may only need a half day, but full day sessions are also available (and so fun!). please e-mail me for more information or to schedule your session. 

***also***

january sessions will get one additional hour FREE (gasp!)

and depending on the turnout, i may open 3 to four mini mentor sessions ($250,  2 hours, photoshop and workflow only) for january ONLY. 

anyway, have fun looking through some of my images from a mentor session i hosted for jessica white this fall, is brittany the most amazing model or what? i had such a great time on this shoot and love how it turned out.