Crush on Apple Hill

Apple Hill could probably be named the best thing that ever happened to Colima of Eldorado County. 55 ranches gathered together and formed the Apple Hill Growers Association. It is the place to go in the Sierra Foothills for all things apple. Armed with a handy map, the family can hop from ranch to ranch tasting their apple pies and cider. Train rides, corn mazes, pony rides, crafts and BBQ all line up to get in on the Apple Hill action. Our little girl's 6th birthday falls just when the apples are at their best so this year we decided Apple Hill was the place to delight our taste buds as well as her love of exploring.

the birthday girl eating her first apple donut. Mighty delicious and worth waiting for a fresh one made to order. We got ours at

Rainbow Orchards. $1 each.

Abel's Apples comes with apples and pumpkins and pony rides too

Taking in the gorgeous roses and views at Kids Inc. I really liked this ranch. Lots of space and a hill to roll down after some birthday wishes were sung, apple pie a la mode was eaten, and the largest and sweetest caramel apple I've ever had.

 this is us geeked out on sugars

 What would you name this apple delight?

 the snyder tribe party of 4

Crush on Orchards

This week we traveled to Apple Hill, California to celebrate our Ruby's 6th birthday. We were on a mission to thrill her with pony rides, hay and corn mazes, pumpkin patches, apple pie a la mode, apple donuts. It's Apple Hill and all that is apple reigns. 

After a day of crowds and crafts we stumbled into the last orchard for tasting and buying a sack of bounty to affirm our day in apple land. It was here where we picked some of our own and Ruby was delighted.
Apparently, this was all she had wanted to do...pick her own apple. Afterall, she was six now and six year olds can run, jump, and pluck an apple from the lowest of branches all by themselves.

I heart faces gave us a perfect photo challenge this week. I decided to share this self-portrait of all of us. We have about two photos a year where I am on the other side of the lens. This is one of them. I must enter it as I don't think the stars and challenges will align again.  This is my tribe in the orchard.
{HAPPY HARVESTING} Skye

Crush on Food

iheartfaces.com posed a photography challenge to photograph BEEF. Their challenges only allow for one picture in the blog post. "The MINI BEEF" of Ruby eating a mini-burger was the one I chose.  But these were the others that I himmed and hawed about. I LOVE FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY. When I am not photographing people, it's the food that brings us together that gets caught in my viewfinder.

Surf and Turf from Thunder Canyon Golf Resort in Washoe Valley, Nevada 

The owner,Mitch, of M&Ms in Reno (Restaurant now located in Sparks, Nevada)

The BBQ House in Reno, Nevada serving up some sweet potato pies

Crush on Beef

I heart faces has teamed with Txbeef.org and are singing my kind of challenge---FOOD. And the food is beef!  Now, we've got a photog lickin' her lips and sitting at the table like Wile E. Coyote. Here's one of our Rubes enjoying a pint sized mini burger made just the right size for when your five. Mama ate her steak too fast to photograph it!

Crush on Families {Fall Mini Photography Session}

Our mini sessions have been a wonderful way to offer our services to more families. Great portraiture at an affordable price. We get to photograph more families and more families get to have their family as art on their walls and this time preserved forever. Here's a mini-peak of our last mini-session in September.
Fall and Winter are booked already but we will have more once spring returns. Watch our Facebook page to be the first to hear and reserve your spot. They go very quickly!
Enjoy the images from our University of Nevada-Reno Mini Sessions.
Our student assistant, Alyssa















The Sutherlands

The Angelopoulos Family

 The Clacks

The Waldens

The Watsons

Stay tuned...more families will be added soon!

Crush on BENDREA {Wedding Photography}

Ben + Andrea have been waiting patiently for a peak at their wedding photos. On wedding day, the wind changed our photo direction, and I think for the better! Here are a couple that crossed my desktop this afternoon. enjoy {BENDREA}...
this is BENDREA

the boys and rings of love

the groomsmen leading a prayer

 the bride heading to her session

this is Andrea

the getaway car

Ben + Andrea

Son and Ring Bearer, Ben Jr.

Table Tulips

the crew

Where it all began with us... A and Bs engagement session