BOZEMAN CHILDREN and SENIOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER, BOZEMAN BABY, CHILD, FAMILY and FAMILY REUNION PHOTOGRAPHY by SUSANN SAAREL » baby

Welcoming 2012 with a grateful heart.

Susann — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:37:51 +0000

Happy New Year!!! Wow! What an amazing hear I had! Oh sure, it started off with a doozy of a winter and an unplanned 2 month hiatus as I became a full-time nurse to Doug after his accident, but professionally, 2011 was my greatest year ever! So I never got around to building my mobile websites, pulling all the garden weeds or sending out Christmas cards for that matter, but I won’t complain because for me, busy = blessed. I had the privilege of meeting and/or working with dozens of families from all over Montana, the U.S. and from as far as Europe and have enjoyed making new photographer friends through Facebook. To top it all off, our family celebrated the Grand Opening of my new boutique studio in Livingston in August to rave reviews, were featured in the Livingston Enterprise and in the Bozeman Chronicle’s B2B (Business to Business) Trade Journal (see page 2…the Comings and Goings section), and were also featured on The Savvy Photographer Blog, an inspiration blog for photographers with a world-wide following.

Decorating and outfitting the boutique studio was a 10 month long labor of love. In between, I shot my first newborn and baby studio sessions ever, a handful of family reunions, and a bunch of family/child sessions mostly here at Sky Ranch. I am so grateful to the people who invite me into their lives trusting me to photograph their most important family moments. I want to remind each and every one of you how beautiful you are…how special your connections are…what a gift to your family you are. So, with a grateful heart, I created something especially for you…the first of hopefully many more, “Year in Review” videos. Here, are a few of some of my favorite images from 2011…”The Year in Review”!!!

May God bless you and your families in the coming year!

xo,

Susann

Pumpkin

Susann — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:56:25 +0000

I love this little pumpkin. I mean how can you NOT love him? But what I love most…how his parents love him, dote on him, lavish him with kisses and laughter. I’ve been documenting Luke’s first year, from his newborn session to Luke at 7 months. And finally his studio birthday session (photos coming soon) to his first official family session here at Sky Ranch. It has been a beautiful journey watching this little one grow.

flowers in the fall.

Susann — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 03:21:32 +0000

Every child is a flower. Blooming in their own special way. Mason (14), Maryn (2) and McCall (4 months) were the flowers blooming in the field and on the mountain-top during this recent family session at Sky Ranch taking center stage among fields of grass and sagebrush. The kindness and sweet love between them all, mother & father, sisters & brother, was something special to behold. Like flowers in the fall.

Wall HeART Wednesday ~ in the nursery

Susann — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:56:49 +0000

Pregnant. With twins. So much to look forward to. Milestones, memories and the making of family traditions. But first, came the nursery. Their first room. The one they would come HOME to. Decorating Sam & Larissa’s nursery was one of my favorite decorating projects ever. Just the idea that in this room, my babies will sleep, and wake and play and laugh and yes, sometimes even cry. Becoming a mother at 39 was a dream come true for me. I loved my pregnancy…all 33 weeks and 5 days of it! And I loved preparing for their arrival…selecting the cribs, the bedding, the draperies, scouring antique shops for the perfect dresser, the perfect chandelier, meaningful accessories. I decorated the walls with vintage pieces and posters and as the twins grew I added framed photographs of them to their nursery and ultimately to their individual rooms. If only I had realized then the impact that large images of them would make and add to the the space! A framed 4×6 or 5×7 print has nothing over these inspirational finds. I love Pottery Barn and the way they incorporate family photography into their decor. The three images in this nursery I would guesstimate to be 16×20′s. Love this series.

And check out Laila Ali’s nursery for her daughter. (Nursery design by Little Crown Interiors). The image hanging above the crib appears to be one of her own father, Muhammed, lovingly admiring his newborn daughter (Laila).

This twins room mixes large canvases (one of each baby) with a series of “expression” shots in fun, but classic circle frames. Images via photographer Nancy Ferrell Belden.

These nurseries go all out with large prints in colorful whimsical frames hung in fabulously painted rooms. Love the series on the left of the new baby with mom and dad! Photos via Michelle Rasmussen of Wondertime Photo.

And last but not least, this crib and bedding is absolutely gorgeous, but what I love most is that the framed images of baby really take center stage when you walk into this nursery due their size and bold framing which compliment the crib. Image by Brenda Horan Photography.

Well, if this isn’t enough inspiration to want you to have another baby (or grandbaby), I don’t know what is! Hope you enjoyed today’s Wall HeART Wednesday ~ in the nursery!

The Boutique Studio ~ A Grand Opening Celebration!

Susann — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 01:25:36 +0000

Nothing like a few setbacks to make a Grand Opening celebration all the sweeter! I had originally intended on a Spring opening…you know…just before the busy season. Yes, that would have been perfect. But God had other plans. As if 400% snowfall at 6,100 ft. weren’t enough…I dropped everything for months (namely my business), when my husband, Doug was nearly killed after being kicked in the face by a horse on March 3rd. So, I’m playing a bit of catch up here with an official opening at the END of summer!

We have been so very blessed that first of all, Doug survived the accident (the worst trauma Bozeman Deaconess had ever seen). And that Winter finally gave way to Spring. Blessed that my business continued to GROW despite the fact that I didn’t send out a single email newsletter all year and that my websites are not yet mobile-compatible (which was my plan for March, no less). We took it moment by moment, day by day, week by week. Summer has just flown by and it’s the last Art Walk of the season…and yes, of course…there is still so much I wanted to do to be “ready”…but guess what? We are having a celebration all the same because sometimes you just have to count your blessings right where you are!

So please, join us and bring all your friends to our Grand Opening Celebration to be held in conjunction with the famed Livingston Art Walk:

WHEN: This coming Friday, August 26th

TIME: 5:30 – 8:30 P.M.

WHERE: 114 E. Lewis Street (4 or 5 doors east of Main)

The Saarel Family would be honored to have you attend. Enjoy a glass of champagne and gourmet caramels while you peruse our fine boutique photography products. Enter a drawing to win a FREE Holiday Mini Session. We are so grateful to be here and would like to share our joy and blessings with you!

Welcome to the world…Miss Bailey Marie

Susann — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 19:21:40 +0000

In this crazy, unpredictable world, one thing is certain. There is love. Love makes the world go round. Love accepts us as we are. Love cements us together when everything else seems to be falling apart. Love believes in us. Love creates. Creates beautiful things. Like Miss Bailey Marie. Welcome to the world, sweet little one and congratulations to your gorgeous parents. You are their now, their future, their forever…

Iris at Eagle Ridge Ranch

Susann — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 02:10:26 +0000

Eagle Ridge Ranch in Wilsall, Montana sits at the foot of the Crazy Mountains. It is a special place for Danielle and Tuli, for they were married here at the family ranch. Now along with beautiful blue-eyed little Miss Iris, 14 months, they are a family of their own and Danielle hoped to capture some special moments shortly after haying while the ranch was still green. I love location sessions as they are full of new opportunity and vistas. And knowing that toddler’s don’t walk (they RUN), I was sure to bring a few containers along, which Iris loved playing in! Here are a few of our most memorable moments…

Tuli, by the way is a master blacksmith who hand-crafts the most beautiful garden tools and travels the West all Spring & Summer long. Check out his website here. His tools have been written up in Forbes Life, among other publications.

Amy & Baby Luke {in the studio}

Susann — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:51:15 +0000

Bit by bit, the new boutique studio is coming along in preparation for my Grand Opening this summer during Livingston Art Walk. In the meantime, I’m pleased to announce that I am officially ready to photograph newborns and babies in the studio! I’m all set up with a private area for nursing, a baby changing table, a fully-stocked fridge and everything you need to be comfy, including slippers! There is plenty of space to relax and put your feet up (ha, the last father at a newborn session actually fell asleep on the giant bean bag!). And…being a prop-junkie (I’ll take any excuse to go antique shopping), I have an every-growing array of vintage baby scales, baskets, blankets, buckets, crates, suitcases and strollers to lay your newborn on and tuck your baby into. My flooring and backdrop collection is also expanding, although I plan to keep it minimal.

I first photographed newborn Luke (see photos here) in my prop-overtaken home office at Sky Ranch, so mom Amy appreciated the loft-feel of my new Livingston studio space as well as the amenities. Seven month-old Luke is one of the happiest and most beautiful babies I have ever seen and I’m sure you will agree. I had asked Amy to bring a floor length gown to wear for the session, inspired by an image I saw in In-Style Magazine of Julianne Moore with her daughter, Liv. Julianne wore a voluminous Alexander McQueen gown while her baby Liv wore nothing. Amy looked stunning in her beautiful Vera Wang gown and I loved Luke’s matching GroVia diaper shell (available for purchase at The Natural Baby Co. in Bozeman). Here are some of my favorite images from the session:

And here was the inspiration:

Image from In-Style Magazine (Aug 2010)

And life goes on…

Susann — Thu, 05 May 2011 16:18:35 +0000

Bozeman, March 5, 2011. After two days and nights camped out in the ICU waiting room with nothing more than the clothes on my back, my friend Patty stepped out of the elevator door one afternoon and boy, was she a sight for sore eyes. We hugged, we cried, we chatted, we dropped into see Doug in his room in the ICU and then she asked me if I’d been out at all. And would I like to spend the night at her house nearby. And I replied, I would like to go out. I would like to go to your house. After all, one can be a bag lady in the hospital for only so long and I was beginning to feel I was overstaying my welcome. Stepping out through the automatic hospital doors, the air hit me. Fresh and cool and breezy. It was alive. And I took a deep breath of it. And then Patty commented something along the lines of “Isn’t is strange how when your whole life stands still, that life goes on?” And it was true. There was traffic. There were people. Walking and talking. There were lights and movement and hustling and bustling. People driving home from work and going about their usual day. Ready to greet their families, cook dinner, relax and watch TV. While for our family, for me and our children, (unbeknownst to Doug in recovery from surgery, asleep for days under heavy medication), life had come to a sudden standstill where nothing was certain or normal anymore. And it felt strange in a way, to realize that the world hadn’t stopped revolving. Because life goes on. Daily routines, uninterrupted. Birth and death and life in-between. As it should be…

Last week, Doug & I attended a memorial service of a beloved member of our Livingston community, Hillary Johnson, the woman who created our very first websites (way back when websites were the new rage). Only 46 years of age, she touched the lives of so many with her kind heart, words and thoughtful ways. How our hearts go out to Spur, her adoring husband who lost his beautiful wife seemingly without warning, and whose life surely stood suddenly still and who’s still trying to make sense of it all, it sense can ever be found.

And yet, life goes on…

As I regained some sense of control of my life I took on a few sessions. That of 7 month old, Luke of Bozeman (which I will post soon) and 3 week old, Tatum Love of Big Sky. They, these precious little ones are the beautiful reminder that life is good and fresh and that it renews itself. How blessed we are to have this time on earth among our loved ones. To create and witness and share in the miracle of new life.

Thanks to Tatum’s parents, Lindsey and Peter for driving all the way to my Livingston boutique studio from Big Sky and for allowing me creative freedom with their precious newborn. It was such a pleasure meeting you!

Christmas Baby

Susann — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:17:51 +0000

Born last December, Well’s isn’t quite a Christmas baby, but any baby born in December qualifies in my opinion! This holiday mini-session took place just outside Wells’ front door in Paradise Valley. At first he couldn’t understand why his mama and I took him out of his warm, comfy & cozy house to set him smack in the snow on a blustery day and he was not all too pleased with us. Then he fell face first off the chair right into the snow. All it took was mama’s kisses (and her dancing like a wild woman behind me) to cheer cute-as-pie Wells right back up! Happy 1st Birthday and Merry Christmas, sweet Wells!

(oh…and I would never set a baby directly in the snow…he’s actually sitting on a white blanket placed on top of mom’s warm winter coat!)