Commercial and family photography around the world. Most recently we've decided to put down roots in Salt Lake City. Let's be friends!
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A few years ago we sold our belongings and gave up our former professions to take photos of families while traveling the world. We brought our two kids along with us, and their homeschooling included visiting sites, trying ethnic foods (Japan has the strangest ice cream flavors), and meeting people from all over the globe. Our journeys have been overwhelmingly rewarding, despite having our camping
gear stolen in Costa Rica and accusations of drug trafficking in New Zealand. We are still reeling from the fact that our work has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show and in the New York Times. We still travel, but enjoy having a place to call home. We love to take photos, camp, hike, and bathe elephants in Sri Lanka.
I rarely do weddings anymore, but when I do, it’s usually for a long time client who’s kiddo is all grown up and getting married!
I really enjoyed doing most of the photoshoot for the wedding before the actual wedding day. For this awesome couple, we did a killer shoot at the Salt Flats, one at Canyonlands at sunset, and one in Arches at night! I was a HAPPY PHOTOGRAPHER!
I’ll share the rest soon :)
Good morning, friends! I am transitioning to my new business (while still taking family portraits, don't worry!) and I'd love it if you could hope over and follow me on my Into the Wild Photo Camp page!
https://www.facebook.com/intothewildphotocamp/
And while we're at it, want to follow me on instagram, too?
Thanks for hanging around, friends. I hope to see you on an adventure soon!
We host adventure and photography retreats around the globe with an emphasis on helping women to get
Some pretty things from Kauai to brighten your day!!
Photos taken by .mountain except for the cutie lil gecko.
Redheads, unite!
Do you have a redhead in your life? It’s clinically proven that redheads will:
1. Increase the fun of any activity by 1000%
2. Provide more sunshine in your life, always
3. Make you laugh harder and longer
4. Provide you with more beauty in your life every time you gaze at their gorgeous locks
5. Only have a temper with you when you really deserve it, which is most of the time…
If you don’t have a redhead in your life, I encourage you to go find one. We are a lot of fun! ☺️😀🤩
In a moment of fear or danger, do you lean toward fight or flight? Or the third option, which is sleep?
A few weeks ago, I was home for about a week on my own. It was glorious. Just me and the quiet house, going about doing things whenever and however I wanted. At night I would starfish in my bed, with so much space, and not worry about whether teens were staying up late or if dogs were getting into something they shouldn't.
One night I woke up to the sound of footsteps on the ceiling above me. Gabe and I live in the basement, and the kid domain is upstairs, so we know very well the sound of footsteps above us. We know every sound coming from above, even our chubby dog North's sounds.
The footsteps were going down the hall, in and out of every bedroom up there. I thought, "Ok. There are definitely people upstairs, and they are definitely going to come down and find me. Once they find me, they will probably shoot me, so I need to be prepared."
But then, my tired and sleepy brain came back with, "Nah- I should just go to sleep. If they find me, they find me. I'll die but at least I'll be more rested."
And what do you know, I was asleep 2 seconds later. I survived, and in the morning nothing was out of place, the door was locked upstairs, and I have to believe that I just imagined it all, or it was a ghost.
Flash forward 3 weeks. Now Gabe is home sleeping, I have left for work, and the kids in dad-custody time with the dogs. Gabe hears footsteps going down the hall. Definitely footsteps, definitely. He texts me, "Are the kids at the house? I hear somebody up there." I check the kids location- they are 100% both at school, and I told Gabe that.
Does Gabe go back to sleep? No.
He grabs protection and CLEARS THE HOUSE LIKE AN FBI AGENT.
When he finds nothing, he declares it was the house ghost. I laugh, because our responses were so VERY different.
When it comes to Fight or Flight, the results are in:
Fight=Gabe and Sleep=Wendy. But damnit, that ghost needs to knock it off, he's ruining our slumber!
Pic by
Checking in to say hi! I don’t have much to actually say because so much is going on right now, I wouldn’t even know where to begin. But, thanks for being here, and I hope you sleep really well tonight. Is that random? Yes. But sleep is important, so just do it.
The Blue Lily Photo schedule for 2022 is out now on my website, bluelilyphotography.com.
It’s going to be my 16th year of photography, and I’m SO grateful to you all for sticking around and hiring me every year or every other year! What a gift.
In 2022 I’ll be doing portraits in: Seattle, Calgary, San Francisco, Sacramento, Southern California, Chicago, Denver, Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Austin, Dallas and Phoenix. And of course, UTAH!!!
Additionally, I’ll be doing retreats in: Kauai, Moab, Costa Rica, Morocco, Peru, Santorini, Banff, Iceland, Maine, Zion, Belize, Croatia, and more!
It’s going to be an exciting year. I love you all! Signups for sessions are now happening, grab one while you can.
Xoxoxoxo
This is a story about a Poopocalypse.
The story begins with these two cuties, their parents, and I- just strolling together through a beautiful park outside of Boston. Strolling, chasing kids, conversing, laughing.
The little gals started to get silly when I was taking their portraits in the grass. The portraits turned into a wrestling match (like they can), coupled with a giggle fest. Pictures were taken of the fun-fest. This picture is one of them!
The romp was suddenly over when we realized that the little lasses had rolled in dog p**p. They were *less* than impressed with this. “But it’s ok!”
the dad declared, “we have wipes!!!!”
But the wipes had been left in the car.
“But that’s ok!” Said the dad. “I’ll run and get them!”
And he ran.
“Oh no!” Said the mom, “he doesn’t have the car keys!” We looked at each other. I suggested maybe my jeans or sweatshirt could clean up the offending substance?
“No, it’s ok!” The mom replied. “Our car can actually be unlocked on my phone!” (Like, whaaaat?!)
But then the dad turned up, looking confused. “Oh no!” He said, “how did I manage to get to you again and not the car?”
At this point, I laughed so hard. “Friends, let’s all walk back to the car. We have enough pictures, and p**p is everywhere, so let’s find the car!”
And we did. The little girls laughed and ran and played on the way back and forgot all about the p**p, and it was one of my favorite sessions ever.
Aloha! What are you doing in February, particularly from the 2-8th of February?
I hope you'll be joining me in Kauai, Hawaii for a 6 day retreat of EPIC PROPORTIONS THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET! never disappoints!
Have you been to Kauai? It's a jungle. It's beaches and cliffs and adventure. It's a must-visit place!
We will be hiking, kayaking, surfing/paddleboarding, doing beach yoga, sailing, snorkeling, eating delicious foods and learning everything about photography.
You don't want to miss this! Cost is $1950 (WOULD MAKE A GREAT HOLIDAY PRESENT!) This cost includes all food, all lodging, all transport, and all activities. Just get yourself to the island and back!
Check it out on my website, www.intothewildphotocamp.com
See you there, fellow wild-women!
(Pics of Hawaii to entice you, and from past retreats for more enticements! Pics by .mountain
One of the greatest things about social media is that we users can help each other with various tasks, finds, and information.
And that is why I am here to tell you that if you’re in the market for a Square-Headed Dog™️, I have a resource. Contact me for details.
You’re welcome.
Dogs. We don’t deserve them! 😍🥰
When family pictures are really just about the dog. 😍🐶
It’s fall, but winter came to Salt Lake City last week and ended my local fall photography. It was a beautiful season! I felt like the colors of fall were ultra intense this year and everyone was here for it.
The mountains have snow now, and the valley floor colors are going wild. Utah is so… beautiful. I’m happy I’ve made it my home! ❤️🥰
This weekend I’ll be finishing up my eastern seaboard tour for family photography with a trip to Washington DC. I’ve got a FULL schedule of families that I’ve known for 10+ years, and I know that means lots of laughs and hugs.
I can’t wait!
Warning: in a humorous way, this caption is a tad morbid and I’m sure inappropriate to share, but I’m doing it anyway.
While raising my kids, I’ve had a long-standing joke with them about how I would like them to push me off the Irish Cliffs of Moher when I’m too old to take care of myself or become too sick to enjoy life fully.
Look- I warned you about this caption and here you are, appalled!
But of course the kids readily agreed.
“Mom, most people just spread their parent’s ashes in a beloved location, but of course, *of course* we will push you off any cliff of your choice.”
So this has been the longstanding joke.
Well- leave it to Isabelle to recently horrify an innocent new family friend with her casual reference that she’s going to push my off a cliff “when mom gets old.” No explanation, just a comment.
The friend was, of course, unsure of how this was going to go over with me, and I tried to smooth things over.
“Don’t worry- it’s a family joke but it’s rooted in truthful desires. I don’t want to get to a place that I can’t take care of myself and am a burden to everyone while I can’t enjoy life myself. So, I have my kids these instructions and we laugh about it here and there.”
And Isabelle pipes up with:
“It’s a good solution for everyone. I mean, it’s going to be *really* hard for Isaac and I to drag mom in a plane and through Ireland and out to the cliffs… but look at it this way! We won’t have to bring her back.”
(Yeah- as usual the photos have nothing to do with the caption😂)
Just look at it!!! The Milky Way is just the coolest. Does it make you feel tingly? 😂
Our dog, , is the world's best dog. Sorry that the best dog isn't your dog, but this is an official award and there's nothing I can do about it.
North is chunky, fluffy, docile and hilarious. He's a rug that sometimes migrates from one end of the room to the other in search of cooler flooring.
And, until his 8th birthday, he's been completely silent.
But in his 8th year, he's started barking. One solitary bark per 25 seconds, just to let us know his feelings.
Only- we have no idea what his feelings are because we don't speak bark. We've had to try our best.
North barks: Woof! "Mom, does that mean he wants to come in?"
North barks: Ruff! "Does that mean he is hungry?"
North barks: Yap! "I have no idea what that means, Mom."
We laugh at it because it's so random that after all of these years as a silent guy, North suddenly has a lot to say.
We are here for it! But we're still searching for a reliable translator.
My male child has a problem with wardrobe choices. Meaning, he doesn’t give a crap about what he wears, whether it matches, if it’s all one color, etc.
Izzy has a problem with it, however, and loves to mock him about his pants being too small (Isaac gets attached to his sweat pants that are from when he was twelve… and now that he’s almost 6 feet tall, it’s a problem 😂) or any number of mockable topics.
On the first day of Isaac’s senior year last month, Izzy and I witnessed Isaac walk in the kitchen with too tight pants, a too tight shirt, and all monochrome clothing (red everything, but slightly different shades!!) and I could see her losing her every loving mind about it.
I said, “Oh! Hang on buddy, I’m going to go fix this real quick.”
I walked into Isaac’s room and picked khaki pants of his size. Isabelle walked in and said:
“Mom, you’re doing God’s work here. The whole school will appreciate it. Let’s just hope he walks out of here with matching shoes.”
THIS!!! The most highly requested and anticipated location for !! Now live and ready to be booked!
Huge, heavenly, rugged peaks. Turquoise-Aqua colored lakes and rivers. Hikes that will change your outlook on life. And VIEWS UPON VIEWS from these peaks!
For this retreat, we will be spending a total of six nights split between two Canadian National Parks: Banff and Jasper.
This *might* be my favorite part of the world- though it’s hard to say, of course! I’d love to show you firsthand what I love about it. It’s so raw, natural, and stunning.
Come and play! $1999 for 6 nights, payable in two parts.
I look forward to becoming your friend and fellow wild woman here, at in the unbeatable Canadian Rockies.
THIS ONE WILL SELL OUT FAST.🏔😍
Heading to Chicago for the weekend! I always love Chicago- I’ve been photographing the same families there for 12+ years. Check this family out- gorgeous and hilarious, year after year.
If you have any food suggestions in Chicago that I must try (gluten free of course!) please let me know! I plan on either clicking my shutter or shoving food in my face the whole time. (And rock climbing, duh.)
Rules of being awesome:
1. Let your inner nerd shine through to the surface.
2. Tell yourself you’re awesome, all of the time. You’ll eventually believe it- as you should.
3. Accept compliments. You deserve them.
4. Only shave your legs when you want to.
5. Go outside and frolic.
Trust me, these work. It’s how I got so awesome. 😉🤓
I miss Australia so much! I can’t wait to get back to this awesome country. The people are friendly, the beaches are out of this world, and the Australians say cute things, like “brekkie” or “budgee smuggler” or “heaps” or… damnit, every thing they say is cute.
The moment I can get back to Australia, I hope to fly straight to Sydney and visit all of my favorite beaches, eat my favorite Thai food, avoid certain scary birds in the Royal Gardens, and skateboard the hell out of the sidewalks.
You’ll have to come along so I can show you around 🌎❤️🥰
I took the teens on a mom/kid weekend adventure to Disneyland!
It had been around 10+ years since our last visit, waaaayyyyy back when we lived in California. I didn’t really know what to expect now that they are practically grown up, but IT WAS A BLAST!
I found myself totally entertained by them in lines, there was so much to talk about or joke about. I loved seeing their big smiles, teasing each other, and hearing them talk about how fun the rides were.
Having a day job means I can’t really go anywhere on the weekend for very long- but these short weekend trips this summer have been incredible.
Teens. Such a pain in the ass, yet so fun😍😅
My photography career has so far lasted 14 awesome years. I estimate I've clicked the shutter button on various cameras I've owned over 4 million times. I've brought the viewfinder to my eye over 4 million times and made stupid jokes millions of times, I've spent what felt like millions of hours in photoshop making edits, and I've met thosands of beautiful families and placed them in front of my lens.
My career isn't over yet, and it won't be for quite a while. I found what I love to do, and it's morphed into other opportunities (looking at you, ) that are so exciting and fulfilling, as well.
And you know what? I couldn't be doing this without YOU. Thank you! You've been super supportive for years and years- and I'm really grateful for you.
Here's to many more years! Drop me a comment and tell me how long we’ve been connected through social media, please! ❤️
Look at this adorable picture of me looking very matronly!
When I wear a dress I feel like a drunken baby giraffe, but look how cute my kids are! So grown up.
And don’t even worry, I know I feel like a drunken baby giraffe, but I know I look totally bangin’.
📷:
Is Machu Picchu on your bucket list?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRUKcILBbKJ/?utm_medium=copy_link
It’s summer!! I’ve been waiting for this season for what seems like FOREVER!
One thing I love about summer is how your arse and the back of your legs get burned when you sit on your black leather car seats.
And how when you go from the outside 100° air into the super air conditioned buildings and feel like you need to put on a winter parka!
Or when you take your tasty beverage outside to enjoy lounging on the green grass only to find that the most severe drought and record breaking temps have turned your lawn into a brown, crispy haystack!
I really do love summer, though ❤️💛🔥
Tell me what you love/hate about summer!
I’m going to try to sum up my experience of raising teenagers in a few short bullet points.
•it’s super fun!
•it’s really hard!
•but sometimes it’s super easy!
•managing teenager emotions is impossible.
•Getting teens to do anything that is not their idea, EVEN IF AT ONE POINT IT WAS THEIR IDEA or even if it’s something they love: double black diamond level difficulty
•making those meaningful connections with teens makes it all worth it.
There you go, my .02 cents. This picture was taken at the top of Hidden Peak, right after our hike with beautiful 360° panoramic views. 4 seconds after we were all cry-laughing at Isaac’s antics and 7 seconds before both of these creatures pictured suddenly became so desperately hungry that death was imminent. Fun! (We really did have fun 😂)
Oops! I succumbed to pressure 🥰
Calling all couples:
COSTA RICA! March 1-7, 2022
White water Rafting! Waterfall Canyoneering! Snorkeling! Zip Lining! Hot Springs! Luxury Villas! Hiking! Surfing! Beach days! Sunset Catamaran! HOLY MOLY YOU DON’T WANNA MISS THIS!
All couples welcome. Please ask if you have any questions. As this is my first (and only???) couples retreat, I have no idea what to expect.
Except a sh*t ton of fun, of course 😘
Check it all out on my retreat website, www.intothewildphotocamp.com
$3650 per couple (that’s a screaming deal for the luxury and copious amounts of fun.)
Fun facts about this image I took in Iceland last month:
I took it in the rear passenger seat while traveling at 55mph.
It was taken at a 400mm.
I barely made the shot in time because this giant lens was all packed away safely in it’s case. But I got it! And I love it.
I had a lap full of cracker crumbs when the shutter clicked. I had to be super careful in Iceland about what I ate because it was harder to find food for a Celiac like me. I ended up glutened which is a super bummer, but the cracker crumbs were from the one GF cracker I could easily find!
Check my stories for more 200-400mm shots from Iceland from inside a moving vehicle :)
This is the face of a woman who completed one of the hardest Half Ironman races in the world AND/OR the woman who followed her daughter around Vegas in a massive shopping spree.
😂😅
Same exhaustion.
Izzy and I had a wonderful weekend in Las Vegas doing all of the things Izzy wanted to do. Shop, shows, shop, eat, shop… you get it. I had a great time with my little sidekick who, I’m happy to report, is growing into a really wonderful human. In fact, I’m pretty sure she was born wonderful and is just perfecting the art.
J Street
Salt Lake City, UT
84103
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MOROCCO. Ahhhhh! So excited to open this trip. The stars aligned for this one. Speaking of stars… would you like to view the Milky Way with me on the dunes of the Sahara, then retire to our luxury tents? Would you like to explore cities and markets and learn about a culture so different than your own via sights, sounds, tastes, textures? Would you like to walk between giant canyon walls and sand board in the most amazing scenery? Check out the details at www.intothewildphotocamp.com and join me! This will be a wild adventure. The best part of coming on a retreat with me is that YOU don’t have to do anything but show up ready. I take care of the rest. I even bring your new friends along :) (Side note: I try very hard to keep these trips both affordable, all-inclusive, and payable in 3 chunks. Check it out in the website, you may be surprised as to the details of the payment plan. It’s what I would need if I were going on a retreat!)
In 6 days, Gabe and I will be taking a trip to ICELAND! We are really excited to go plan the itinerary for the @intothewildphotocamp that will be held in Iceland next June. It's crazy how, after a year of no international travel, I've gotten rusty at packing. Gabe and I have started making lists of what to bring, what precautions we need to take, what tests are necessary beforehand and during, etc. But we are over the moon at this opportunity to go to one of our most loved countries again. @Cotopaxi has us covered for our packing list and gear bags. I've got to say- for a couple of rock climbing travellers like Gabe and I, Cotopaxi has the perfect bags and clothing! Check out this stop motion we made of what I've packed for our Iceland trip. Stay tuned for some epic photos and videos from Iceland- and if you're interested in joining us at the Iceland retreat next summer (probably the 2nd week of June), you might want to DM me to get on the interest list as I think it's going to sell out fast! While I've never brought a sponsorship or ambassadorship onto this page before, I'm stoked over Cotopaxi's #DoGood motto and giving model. Truly an amazing company, using business as a vehicle to make a real impact in the world. #GearForGood #cotopaxiadvocate
This trip is already HALFWAY sold out! I cannot believe it! 😍 January 12-18, 2022. Interesting factoid: when I polled my followers on Instagram last week about challenges faced in getting to an @intothewildphotocamp trip, soooooo many of you said “mom guilt” or a variation of that answer. I definitely want to address this, because I feel mom guilt, too, but I no longer feel it for this reason (travel). The trick is, I don’t want to talk you out of mom guilt because I earn money off of your attendance at my retreats. I want to help you learn your way out of mom-guilt because it’s unnecessary and unfair to both you and your children. So! Let’s talk about it here in the comments or sometime in the future. But back to the topic at hand: COME AND PLAY! Link in profile.
Congrats, @kristingjendem! You’ve won the giveaway for the Cotopaxi windbreaker and peak design bag! DM me to collect your prizes, please. I’m a little jealous, myself! 😉 Thanks everyone who entered the giveaway. I really, really appreciate your support and following my other account @intothewildphotocamp. Who’s joining me in Yosemite this August? Xoxoxox
My teens always hear me preaching to them, “Don’t wish your present life away for your future life!” I have one kid who is a dreamer and lives in the future and another who is always scheming for future shopping escapades. And so I tell them to live in the present at least *sometimes*! But now here I am, in early April, longing for summer days like this. DANGIT, summer! GET HERE ALREADY!!! (Don’t forget! I’m hosting a giveaway that ends Tuesday night, tomorrow! See post 2 back for details.)
Just a reminder that I’m cute, and always have been. 😋 Also, I’m super good at kicking balls. 1981.
Sheesh. This is so damned romantic! 😍 When’s the last time you had a love in motion film made? 😉 #bluelilyloveinmotion
It’s no secret that I love to have fun. I try my best to make everything fun... which confounds my new coworkers, but whatever! 😂 Luckily for me, my partner in crime also loves to have fun and create adventures. Last weekend we headed up to Big Sky, Montana for a quick getaway. It turned out to be *quite* the trip of unexpected twists and turns... but the snow was AMAZING and we had so much fun laughing, jumping off of things, crashing, and making this movie. When I’m 80, this little video will be priceless. Yep, you know what I’m going to say next: I edited this all on my iPhone. Easy-peasy. If you still haven’t purchased my iPhone Video Creation class, it’s time! Don’t do another adventure without it. Link: bit.ly/BLUSKOOL ❄️
Yesterday I was able to go to Disney World! I didn’t have a *ton* of time to wander the park, however, so... I ran through it and made it a race. (Against myself. I won! Haha) It was SO fun! I encourage you all to get out there and experience something solo here and there. I truly love traveling alone (and with my family, too) and now I have a fun video to remind me of this experience. I shot this all on my iPhone and had it edited soon after I left the park. Learn how! Link in profile. PS: I got a lot of weird looks as I ran like a dork across the park in triathlon spandex, but you know I’m used to that 😉
Need serenity? Watch this! *funny story: before going to Australia, I did a lot of research as to if I could or should fly my drone at Bondi Beach. I learned there are all the usual rules as here in the USA, plus some quite restricting rules, such as no flying above people at all, and no flying above 30 meters. I committed the rules to memory so that when I got to the beach I could evaluate whether I could get the shots I wanted at all. Answer: no, not really. But I flew it anyway and was terrified the whole time that I’d be ticketed for doing something wrong, like I’d read online was the experience of many! After I flew, I happened to be on Instagram while riding the bus home and saw a video shot by drone of the same beach. The video was gorgeous and it broke all the laws. That video then led me to hundreds of similar videos, all breaking the rules but SO STUNNING. Bleh. Being a rule follower is boring. 😇
I look at this video below about 10,000 times a day (slight exaggeration) because it immediately brings me back to some wonderful family times we had this past summer. I find myself smiling so hard when I watch it! I made this video and many others following the steps outlined in my iPhone Video Creation class. The class is getting rave reviews! I’m having so much fun watching videos that classmates have made. Personally, I have loved having all my vacation memories wrapped up into short, entertaining memoirs that I can watch again and again. Do you have all kinds of vacation footage and have no idea what to do with it? Or do you have a vacation or family even coming up and want to document it? This is the class for you! It’s normally $39, but it’s 50% off right NOW! I added another 100 coupons, grab them while you can. Use code BL19OFF to take advantage of the sale. You won’t regret it! Link: bit.ly/BLUSKOOL
