Kristen + Cesar | Caruthersville, MO Wedding Photographer

"Nine hundred thirty-nine days since I stumbled upon a friendship
drenched in grace and founded on a heart's safe-keeping.
And I stood before you on this day, all of the memories lodged in my throat
and all of the moments playing before my very eyes and
I called you mine and you called me yours.
And it was all as it should be.
Cesar Isaac Mojica Romero, it's the sweetest and purest honor
to be deemed Mrs. Mojica.
I will love you for the rest of my days."

---

It's not every day that I get to capture the wedding of a bride whose art form is words, and whose gift is poetry. And it's not every day that she is my best friend, either. Some weddings are difficult for me to capture, being so emotionally tied to those standing up together that my heart finds it hard to balance the demand of a wedding day, and my eyes are misty while focusing and re-focusing on the beautiful moments that play out before me. This wedding was one of those. My best friend found and married the one that her soul loves, and it truly was a thing of beauty to behold. 

Kristen and Cesar, I love you both dearly. It was an absolute honor and joy to be the one witnessing and archiving your union. Creating the visual remembrance that will forever remind you of why you began this journey. It is my hope that on the hard days, the impossible days, the heartbroken days, you are able to look back on these images and be filled with His peace and assurance that He truly began a good thing, and He who began such a good thing will continue to carry it through to completion. He truly has both of You in the palm of His hand, and the blessing on you is radiant to those around you. Thank you both for this example, I pray that this light only grows stronger as the years pass. 

Rachel + Erik | Arkansas Wedding Photographer

   "Home is behind, the world ahead."

I first heard about Rachel and Erik's story from my brother-in-law, who had told them about my work. He lives in the same region that they do which happens to be completely across the world from me. And it also just happened that Rachel and Erik were planning their wedding merely three hours from my home. Truly it IS a small world after all, providentially so in this case. I was so honored to be asked to capture their wedding which was full of elements from their home in the Middle East, and still full of Southern comfort and charm. Rachel and Erik's wedding day was full of the best sort of feelings, and those were all anchored in their love for each other and their love for Christ.

One of the sweetest moments of the day was during the group photos. It was absolutely sweltering and we didn't have any water with us. There was a point when Rachel was feeling lightheaded and needed to sit down. Her groom assessed this, called off any further picture taking and carried her away to a bench where he stayed by her side as she rested and was brought some water. This tiny moment is just a glimpse of the care that I see Erik has for Rachel, and it was evident that this moment was just the beginning of him caring for her for the rest of their lives together.

Rachel and Erik, it was such a joy to be with you and your families on the day that you joined together as man and wife, I pray that all the days ahead are like the first one that you shared. Joy-filled, and full of adventure. Gandolf was right, it truly is a dangerous thing to walk out your door, but I am pretty sure you are glad you did. God bless you both! 

Ashlyn | Conway, Arkansas Portrait Photographer

When Ashlyn called me a few months ago and explained that her family had a tradition for their daughters to have a portrait session for their 13th birthday (HOW PRECIOUS IS THAT—can I just steal that idea please?) and that she wanted to do her photos in her neighborhood, I knew this was the start of a perfect session. And to top it off I got to her home and she had books she wanted to include—not books that are simply pretty and cute, but books she actually loves.

Ashlyn is genuinely kind, beautiful, loves new places, has a love of classic literature, and spends as much time in treetops as possible. Pretty much, if I had known her when I was 13 we would have been best friends just over the tree climbing factor. I absolutely love meeting strong young women like Ashlyn, and I love even more the opportunities I have to capture their personality, grace, and beauty.  

Meeting Ashlyn and her family was more than just another photo session. I left their home encouraged that kindred spirits truly are all around—and quite possibly perched in your neighborhood’s Magnolia tree.   

Ashlyn, I hope you enjoy these photos for many years to come. It was an absolute joy for me to serve you and your family!  <3

4 Reasons Why You Should Take Photos of Your Kids in Your Messy House

So many things changed after becoming a mom. Interests, clothing, hair (just thankful to have it these days), car (I am completely loving the minivan life), and my love of roller coasters (vanished. completely.) I kind of expected a lot of those things, but there were some unexpected changes too. As a photographer I have always had definite opinions on the worth of certain photos over others. I wanted perfect images, magazine quality shots. But then I became a mother. And I watched my daughter grow, passing through seasons and phases, and I realized that the images I wanted to save and print weren't those which I struggled through tears to achieve. They weren't the ones of her wearing the perfect little outfit that was itchy and she hated. They weren't the ones that came at the cost of family arguments and strife over getting "one more shot" in attempt for what I envisioned. Those memories make me cringe now. No, they are the ones with her wearing her tutu and her owl snow cap in the dead of summer. The ones of her twirling her umbrella in the rain wearing the loud striped leggings she insisted on wearing every day for 2 months. The the ones with her grubby little hands clutching watermelon sitting next to her sweet Papa.  

These images, representing her in different seasons, interacting and growing with those around her--were the ones that tugged at my heartstrings. And somewhere along the past five years I've largely given up on taking family portraits like I wanted in the beginning. And because me holding my heavy Canon camera made me feel like I need a certain result, I gave up using it and have almost entirely used my iPhone lately. Until today. I've come to the point where I want to capture my chickadees as they are, and today I picked up my "real" camera and began a new journey. 

So why should you begin photographing your kids in your messy house?  

1. It's the home you live in today. What better place to document your current season of life.

2. Its convenient because it already houses the bunk bed that serves as fort and trampoline, the books with taped pages, and the blocks that are both building toys and missiles.

3. It's the true backdrop for learning and developing the little persons that it shelters, and watching them become best friends with others. 

4. The worn-with-love baby doll and the mismatched clothing is what you want to remember, because it is what will not stay. They have the rest of their lives to try and look perfectly--let them be little and cherish it now.

If you are interested in a life inspired session with your family, contact me and I would be so honored to begin a conversation with you about making that possible. <3 Please feel free to follow our daily journey on instagram @katieopris

Meagan | Maternity Session

I absolutely love repeat clients, and repeat clients who are beginning families of their own are in their own category of dear to my heart! I shot Meagan and Zak's wedding several years ago and got to capture this maternity session recently, and then,  SURPRISE -- sweet baby Lennox arrived a few weeks early yesterday! Cannot wait until her newborn session this next week! Until then enjoy some of my favorites from the maternity session!