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Sandi Shipley Photography bio picture

It's all about You!

I hope you will be able to see through my pictures that I love what I do. I love being able to create a keepsake for families and seeing the expression on someones face when they see themselves the way I have through my lens. I see God’s amazing beauty all around me.  I love that I get to spend time taking pictures of families who inspire me. I get to rub baby bellies and capture those precious newborn toes. I get to follow behind toddlers as they explore their world and I get to experience those ungaurded moments of families at play.

I see things differently when I am looking through my lens. I see the unique connection you have with your family. The love, the fun, the trust, the joy.  I see how quickly time slips through our fingers and desire to capture those moments that could so easily slip away.

My photography is all about YOU. Your family. Your connections. Your seasons. Your laugh-out- loud joy and so-happy-you-could-cry moments.  As a mom of three young children I get the desire to capture it all. Being a photographer is so much more than a job to me. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, and it gives me the shivers. It is my passion.

So come as you are. Play together. Be together. Just be you.

I can’t wait to meet you and explore this time together,

Sandi Shipley

Kaitlyn {Phoenix High School Senior Portrait Photography}

Meet Kaitlyn, my final High School Senior of the 2010 Season. And what a fun session to end with this year! I loved meeting Kaitlyn and had a great time shooting her Senior Portraits. In her pre-session questionnaire, Kaitlyn’s mom wrote “I want her to remember the smell and presence of Jesus swirling through and around the pain. I want themes that are part of our family like authenticity and justice and fierce love to be “keepers”. I want her to be released into this next season with a sense of having been blessed as a woman. I want her to remember that she is beautiful.” Wow. Loved that! I so hope it is true for them post-session as well. Kaitlyn you are beautiful! And so full of light and creativity. You made my job so easy with how open you were to everything I wanted to try! Here are a few of my favorites from our time together. Enjoy!

Play the slide-show if you’d like to see more of Kaitlyn’s images:

Baby Jack {Phoenix Maternity, Newborn and Child Photography}

A few months ago I got to do Meredith’s Baby Belly pictures. Well sweet little Jack has arrived and went out last week for his very first photo shoot :-) Meredith looks amazing and the obvious love that flows through this family always makes me smile. Welcome to the world, little Jack!

Here are just a few from our session. More to come soon!

Priscilla {Phoenix Senior High School Portraits}

There are few things that make me as happy as when someone I know and love says those sweet words…”We need to book you for…”  This time it was for Priscilla’s High School Senior Portraits. I first met Priscilla 5 years ago helping out iver the summer in our church’s VBS program. She has given her time and talent time in so many ways. She was my co-counselor two summers ago up at Camp, and I have that absolute pleasure of having her hang out with me again this year! It is amazing how quickly 5 years passes. Since then I have watched her grow into such a lovely, confident and talented young lady! And now she is months away from heading off to college. Sigh. Priscilla, I am so grateful for you! Thank you for letting me into your world, trusting me with our coffee talks, late night camp talks and for the times you have loved my kids so well! I am so proud of you and can’t wait to see what God has in store for you.

Here are a few of my favorites from our session. Enjoy!

Click play to see more from Priscilla’s session!

Why Parents Drink { Too Funny Not to share!}

It is Friday and I have run out of steam this week! I wanted to get caught up on updating from these past few weeks, but, alas, it is just not going to happen today! Instead, I bring you an email I recently received from a good friend. Good for a Friday afternoon laugh! Have a great weekend everyone :-)

A father passing by his son’s bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an Envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to ‘Dad.’ With the worst premonition he opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter.

Dear Dad:

It is with great regret and sorrow that I’m writing you.

I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you.

I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice.

But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercing, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am.

But it’ s not only the passion… Dad she’s pregnant.

Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter.

We share a dream of having many more children. Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn’t really hurt anyone.

We’ll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy.

In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Stacy can get better. She deserves it.

Don’t worry Dad. I’m 15 and I know how to take care of myself.

Someday I’m sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren.

Love, Your Son John

PS. Dad, none of the above is true. I’m over at Tommy’s house.

I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the report card that’s in my center desk drawer.

I love you. Call me when it’s safe to come home.

Meghan {Phoenix High School Senior Portrait Photographer}

I first met Meghan up at Camp last summer. She was involved in the Program team and helped put on dramas and games and so much more for all the kids up there. I was really touched by how she shared her heart and was so willing to be open and vulnerable. Fast forward to past fall. About a week after I ran the High School giveaway contest I received an email from someone I really admire and respect telling me all about Meghan. I couldn’t resist adding in one more Give-away session and had a complete blast spending time with her! Meghan is fun and spirited and so beautiful to boot. So here she is…Enjoy!

Click below if you’d like to see more from her session!

Hillary {Phoenix High School Senior Portrait Photography}

I met Hillary for the first time at our Session. There are so many words I could use to describe her…Creative. Talented. Introspective. Spunky. Funny. Beautiful. To name just a few! We hung out downtown, stopped traffic, found one of her favorite spots then made our way down to the Phoenix Art Museum. I really enjoyed this session because it was fun to see the different sides to her personality come out in front of the lens. I even got to hear her play guitar and sing. So talented! Enjoy the sneak peak and the many sides of Hillary…

Want to see more? Click below!

Sarah {Phoenix High School Senior Portrait Photography}

Sarah was the second winner of my Senior Portrait giveaway! We headed downtown Phoenix Wednesday morning for her session and had a great time. A Senior at Sunnyslope High School, Sarah was actually nominated by two separate people. Here is a little bit from what both people had to say about Sarah…

Sarah Doyle, Sarah’s Small group leader wrote me these words about Sarah: “She is a born leader and is able to influence those around her. She is kind and deeply loyal to her family and friends. She has a sweet passion for developmentally delayed children and hopes to be a special education teacher or work with them in another way. Sarah is currently the editor of her high school newspaper and plays on the varsity soccer team. In the spring she will be on the track team where she will compete in triple jump and long jump. She was a cheerleader for the first time this year during football season. She is learning to play the piano in school and maintains a B average in her classes. She is on our high school leadership team, and remains committed to my small group. She goes to many of the Senior High events, went on the Mexico mission trip with our church the last two years, helped with VBS, and did Kid’s Club with Neighborhood Ministries this summer. She works and plays hard in everything she is a part of, so much so that she loses her voice often from sheer exhaustion.”

And Sue DeForrest, a close friend, had this to add: “(Sarah) is a Senior at Sunnyslope High School and has dealt with so much in her young life. In spite of all her struggles, Sarah has persevered. She has been on the swim team, soccer team, track team and this year she was a cheerleader. She has wrestled with and hung in there with God and is regular at ODF. And best of all she will graduate in a few months with plans and hope for her future!”

It was great fun to meet you Sarah! You are lovely inside and out and you did fantastic during your session! Enjoy your sneak peak….

Click on the video below to see more!

Jansen {Phoenix High School Senior Portrait Photography}

Saturday afternoon I got to hang out with Jansen and his mom, Chris. Chris is one of my favorite women on the planet. She is amazingly funny and so sweet! I was beyond thrilled when she asked me to do Jansen’s Senior Portraits. Chris clued me in to the fact that Jansen loves playing his guitar and is heading off to college to study Architecture. With the combination of those two in mind, I had the perfect spot to shoot! We could not have asked for a more gorgeous day. Jansen did amazing. We laughed and chatted and he was a natural in front of the camera! Thank you, thank you for letting me be a part of this day with you! I so enjoyed our time together. Not to mention a certain very cool chair…in the back of a truck….that wasn’t exactly ours….hypothetically of course!! Enjoy your sneak peak! Lot’s more to come :-)

A new favorite….

Oh my, look at those baby blues!!!

Seriously, he looks so tough here. Can you say Teddy Bear??

Wanna see more?? Click play on the video below!

Meredith & Andy {Phoenix Maternity, Newborn, and Child Photography}

I was really excited when Meredith contacted me a few months back to schedule her Maternity session for this spring. The day of her session arrived…but so did the rain clouds! So we rescheduled for a few weeks out. The rain showed up AGAIN. Meredith was great. She really wanted a bright sunny day so we just rescheduled for another two weeks out. Low and behold, no rain clouds. But a sick little girl. (Mine!) We ended up having to reschedule about 4 times before we actually met up this past Sunday for her session! A true Murphy’s Law of events may have preceded her actual session, but our time together was lovely! The sun was shining, the day was breezy and warm and Meredith was absolutely radiant.

Andy, Meredith’s husband of three years, was a riot. He had us laughing the whole time. But the thing I will remember most about this session was they way he looked at her. My, oh my.  Andy looked at Meredith like she was the most beautiful, amazing, funny, intelligent woman on the face of the planet. Every woman should be looked at like that at least once in her life.  I had a great time spending time with them and I am so looking forward to meeting their new little boy when he makes his appearance! Until then, enjoy just a few favorites from her Baby Belly session…

Baby Ender {Phoenix Child and Family Photographer}

My name is Sandi Shipley and I am addicted to baby toes. Seriously. I know it is a problem. I just can’t help myself. And can you blame me?

Love this little one! His itty bitty clothes are still so big on him…

Which leads me to this. Melt me!

Sweet little boy….

Such a big yawn for such a little person!

Welcome to the world, sweet little Ender! I know your parents. You are a pretty lucky little boy. Looking forward to watching you grow into those little pants and beyond!