Laura.

Capricorn.
Originally uploaded by SYeakle

My neighbor Laura is moving out (not to worry, she'll still only be a few blocks away!) so I wanted to take advantage of her big empty space! I do a lot of my own styling/hair/make-up, and had a really great time creating this look. Sometimes shoots with friends are easier, because I know they'll just do... well, pretty much anything. It would be neat to have clients come to me occasionally and just say "Here is a giant budget! Come up with something magical! Whatever you want!" Maybe this blog post will encourage it. ;)

Lawson.

Portraits with parents
Originally uploaded by SYeakle

Lawson's mama had really prepared for his shoot which made it such a breeze! She had coordinating outfits picked out and loads of ideas. It's awesome to really collaborate with my clients closely, as it ensures I'm shooting what it is they're looking for.

I love how this set has such variety; from Lawson playing in his room with his favorite toys, reading a book with mom, the dog licking his face, hanging with the parents out by the pool, and then the beach. My favorite shots are from right at the end of the shoot, when they gave him his cowboy hat. The weather turned for the best, and even though he was getting a little grumpy after a long session, I think there's something sweet about him crying in his hat and diaper on the beach. :) I really dig this set!

Daniel.

Dano
Originally uploaded by SYeakle

Take a hot sunny day in North Miami, add a camera in my hands, sand between my toes, and mix with lots of giggling, sliding, and swinging and you've got my shoot with Daniel! I got to catch up with my old friend Elena, Daniel's mom, while chasing around after her energetic bundle of joy. He was so much fun to shoot, as he just kept GOING! What a little mover and shaker! I'm really excited to share these! :)

Jena.

smiles
Originally uploaded by SYeakle

Another trip to Florida, and another maternity shoot! I think there's something in the water down there.... ;)

Jena was adorable. She laughs at the drop of a hat, which is impossible not to love. This was a lovely quick shoot set up in her nursery-to-be. We kept it simple, classic, and timeless... for the most part! There is another photo from this series where she is wrapped in a zebra print fabric that I'm still not finished with! What's a shoot without a little flair? But for now, I just wanted to share these.

I've been really enjoying the family themed jobs lately, maybe I should market myself for that more... If you know anyone, keep me in mind! :)

Kalle & her cat.

This?
Originally uploaded by SYeakle

I had a shoot yesterday with my friend Kalle to get some fresh shots to submit into a contest I really want to enter. According to the website yesterday, I only had 5 more days before the deadline, but today it's been extended it to APRIL! *sigh* I don't know if they just didn't get enough submissions or anything they really liked but, it's a bit disappointing because now I know once I submit my competition will be ten fold.

Regardless, it was a great shoot! Kalle has never modeled before so she was really fun to photograph. Being an event coordinator, she's extremely creative. My favorite shots she's wearing a blanket tied with a belt balancing on her grandfather's milking stool in her side yard! I think we collaborated well. It's not what you have, it's how you use it! :)

Tara.

lagoon
Originally uploaded by SYeakle

While I was in Florida this month, I had the opportunity to photograph soon-to-be mama Tara. Our schedules left us to shoot on a day with a forecast thick with torrential thunderstorms through the afternoon, so we opted to get an earlier start. Despite our best scheduling efforts we couldn't beat the rain clouds, but gladly accepted the small breaks in the weather to take her maternity photos.

On the plus side, it kept the beaches clear of tourists and families, leaving us with plenty of welcomed privacy. And Tara was lovely to photograph, while the clouds permitted it. ;)

Giovanna.

giovanna
Originally uploaded by SYeakle

Between my neighbors changing over their laundry and locking up their bicycles, Giovanna quickly stripped down in my basement for this sexy little photo shoot! The location proved to have more foot traffic then I'd anticipated, but I like the way it photographed (& it kept us on our toes!)

Giovanna has a variety of tattoos, but the flowers down her left side are what inspired this series of non-revealing nude portraits (is that an oxymoron?) ;) When she asked me to take her portrait as a surprise Christmas gift for the guy she's seeing, I already had this shot planned out.

Now that the holidays have passed, she's given me the go-ahead to post away! (He loved the gift by the way! YAY!)
Keep this in mind ladies! Valentine's Day is drawing near... ;)

The Ripka Fam!

Family portrait
Originally uploaded by SYeakle

Let me start by saying Lily has one super cool mom! Shannon has come up with such creative ideas for our two shoots together. It's really lovely to collaborate, as it assures me I'm taking the types of photos the family really wants to have. It's also incredible to see how much Lily has changed since our last shoot, in just a few short months! (I suppose this is the way with babies!)

Rachelle.

avant-garde
Originally uploaded by SYeakle

Rachelle wanted to update her modeling portfolio with horses and I was lucky enough to be hired for this really rad gig! I'd taken Holly's portrait with her horse back in Orlando, and absolutely loved what we came up with so I was totally stoked to work with such large animals again. What I didn't realize is HOW LARGE they get! I knew Holly's Phoenix was a smaller breed of horse but WOW they get MUCH, MUCH BIGGER! :)

Being from the east coast of Florida, I never spent a lot of time on farms, in barns, or around horses. So, this job was a real treat. It's amazing to be working in an entirely different environment on the west coast and I'm really digging the results. Also, I got to meet and work with a new super talented hair and make-up artist on this shoot! All in all, an exciting day. And of course, there are few more on my flickr

Lily

This is 6 month old Lily! She is the brilliant creation of my kickball team mate Kevin and his lovely wife Shannon. After a morning spent photographing Lily, I've had an awesome afternoon of editing. The composite above was inspired by one of Lily's fabulous tutus! (I'm also quite clearly still on this vintage vibe kick in my post-processing)

It was so interesting to photograph someone who doesn't have an opinion. She really didn't care what I was doing with the funny black machine I hold over my face like a mask when I take pictures. It was also really fantastic to set up lighting for such a TINY person. I really dig baby photography. I'd love to get more into this field. I recently heard of photographers being hired to capture the BIRTH of babies, which sounds SO amazing! To take someone's FIRST portraits. Wow. I need to get more pregnant women to SamanthaYeakle.com! :) And for more Lily, I'm still using my flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yeakle

Lesley.

When our friend's father, uncle, and grandfather set out to build a cabin on a ranch in Idaho one summer, they were with the times. It was the 70's and they were embracing it. Today, the cabin still has incredible style, even if it's incredibly out-dated. Being in a small town with a population of about 400 on a piece of land where you can walk out the front door to fire at clay pigeons with a shot gun at will, was a time-warp all it's own. The decor only enhanced the experience.

Inspired at every turn, my friend Lesley became my willing subject for a few time-warped shots one night. I found a half-sewn pillow case in the basement, pinned it around her waist, and sat her in front of a barn collapsing in the backyard. She was happy to play along until dinner time. So, here are the results from a mini-shoot on my random fabulous vacation to the deepest corner of nowhere and back. :)

Caitlin. Again. :)

It all started with little butterflies made of feathers. Then, there was a trip into the shady part of town for some fake hair and to scout the discount stores for dresses I could alter. And then... TA DAA! Princess nonsense in my neighbor's backyard!
Caitlin is such a good sport. She was SO in from the beginning. It was a blast to build this from the ground up. I've posted more up on my flickr! (note the serious effort to join the flickr community) ;) http://www.flickr.com/photos/yeakle/

Annie

Annie, one of Matt's co-workers at Nell, has been house sitting one of the more elaborately decorated homes I've seen up here in the Northwest. As soon as we walked in I said "I need to take photos here", and this morning, it happened. Before work, Annie and I dug through her incredibly diverse closet and came up with this outfit to compliment the decor. The small dog in the background is hers, which I love because it makes the portrait all the more personal.

I really enjoy creating these types of portraits, and need to make more time to do so. With wedding season in full swing, this site has been a little left behind. I hope I find the opportunity to shoot more like this soon.

Nikki Glaser

A comedy festival came to town over the weekend so my neighbor and I headed out to see a friend of hers from college perform. She was on Last Comic Standing and recently appeared on the Tonight Show so, of course: she was hilarious. We ended up setting up a quick shoot before lunch the next morning, which was a blast. I hope to photograph more comedians in the future, so ANIMATED! :) I didn't have to tell her to do anything, I just snapped away! too easy. :)