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tastefully documented cesarean section in hospital with permission of staff

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A Year in Review

I’m so excited to announce my 2019 favorites as well as a brief recap review of the year.

One of my favorite ways to reflect on 2019 in review is to select favorites from each session, bringing them all together in a collection at the end of the year. It is a beautiful way to wrap up and a reminder of how blessed each year has been.

By reviewing the year and looking at each session with fresh eyes, always leaves me in a place of gratitude. This year… I am still sitting back in awe and feeling incredibly blessed and grateful as I reflect on all that has unfolded. It has been an incredible year! I am usually much more on it and have this post up by New Year’s Day, but honestly am just now catching my breath, having gone non-stop since March. It is a fantastic problem, and as I reflect, I am overwhelmed with emotion at times.

Since the fall of 2018, I have carefully planned a big switch in Little Loo Photography, rebranding from posed newborns and families to birth. I had invested time and finances in hiring an experienced and talented birth mentor Angie Klaus Photography. Angie was so helpful in looking at my brand in general and preparing me for the work it would take to branch into this genre. Birth is unlike anything else. I knew it would be a risk, as I had worked so hard in my first seven years in business building a brand I was known for (posed newborn), and to change that was a bit scary. I had hoped and prayed that it would unfold just as I envisioned and that the clients would come. I worked hard on learning and fine-tuning my filmmaking skills and invested in workshops and online communities to soak up as much information and resources as possible.

My life plan included me retiring as a labor and delivery nurse here in Las Vegas in January 2020, at my 20th anniversary. It was a career that held my identity and much of my heart and soul. Patient care and caring for families during life’s most intimate and life-changing moments were never lost on me. Even up until the end, I was in awe that this was my career, that I got to do this as a living. I had the perfect plan of how the two would unfold; me retiring from L&D as I launched my brand in birth stories. How perfect that I still get to be a part of the incredible miracle of birth, but in a new role?

I am very goal-oriented, and I have plans to follow for almost everything I do, from running marathons to traveling, you name it. But God always has a better plan, and I am always amazed at how much richer and deeper His always is. By March 2019, it was becoming clear that trying to grow my birth business would be difficult while working at the hospital. As changes occurred in the unit, I felt the whisper that it was a time (quite hard for this OCD person who likes to stick to the plan). Still, it just kept nudging and pulling at my heart, and after some deep conversations with my husband and reviewing finances, I made the leap and went out early. Walking off the unit I had walked into for 19 years after resigning was incredibly emotional. I worked alongside the best of the best and was blessed enough to work with incredible nurses, doctors, and staff. I met and cared for so many families over the years.

I spent time hoping and praying that the birth clients would come and I would be able to grow it. And, boy oh boy, grow it did! I honestly struggled to keep up. I got inquiry after inquiry and had the most incredible clients find me, clients willing to open and share their birth spaces with me, trusting me to tell such an intimate and personal part of their lives, their birth story. Trusting me in capturing moments that can’t be relived or redone, it has been the most incredible year in Little Loo’s history. Mind-blowing really!

But let’s get to the favorites part of it- my yearly favorites! I pick an image from each session that speaks the most to my heart. I usually put them together in a slideshow, but I am changing it up this year! (I do have clients that request that I not post their images on my blog or social media sites, and I always honor that, so they are not included in the numbers or favorites). Enjoy!

I had made a goal for 2019 to shoot ten births (double the births I documented in 2018), and I ended up documenting

16 births!

Each birth was so different and so full of emotion and love!

tastefully documented cesarean section in hospital with permission of staff
Las Vegas birth story documented at Centennial Hills hospital in Las Vegas
mother holding baby for the first time after giving birth at Southern Hills hospital in Las Vegas
documentary style image of mother laboring with the support of her husband in St Rose San Martin hospital in Las Vegas
laboring mother using breathing techniques during labor at St. Rose San Martin hospital
baby on mom's chest after giving birth at home in Las Vegas, NV
beautiful home birth at home with children surrounding mother after birth in Las Vegas, NV
parents surrogacy holding new baby for the first time at Centennial Hills hospital in Las Vegas, NV

Documenting a surrogate birth story has long been a dream of mine, so I was over the moon when this story found me. It was incredibly touching and even more beautiful than I could have imagined.

seeing baby for the first time after cesarean section at Henderson hospital in Las Vegas
husband supporting wife during labor at St. Rose San Martin in Las Vegas
mother and father emotional after delivering baby prematurely at Summerlin hospital in Las Vegas
home birth surrounded by birth team of husband and midwives in Las Vegas, NV
beautifully decorated home birth in Las Vegas using patient's own bathtub
father holding new baby in arms after home birth in Las Vegas

I have learned in being a birth photographer that it is unlike any other genre. Being on call for births for an average of 3 weeks at a time means that other types of work can’t be scheduled around it for the risk of rescheduling clients, which isn’t ideal.

In no other genre do you have no idea when it will happen; it could be 2 am, two weeks from today, or tomorrow, and having everything ready to go instantly is crucial. So, as hard as it was, that meant less work I had done in the past and fewer family, newborn, and maternity sessions. It was so hard to say ‘no’ to so many families.

To end 2019, I was allowed to be among the incredibly talented and diverse Birthbound Photographer instructors. I will be presenting a portion of their birth photographer certification course, bringing my experience as an L&D nurse to forge stronger relationships in the hospital setting and elevate the genre of birth photography as a whole. It has been an incredible opportunity and one I am so grateful for!

I documented 5 maternity sessions. Three of my maternity clients were also birth story clients.

beautiful sunset maternity session at Valley of Fire outside of Las Vegas
maternity session including husband in Las Vegas at the Valley of Fire
mountain maternity session during the summer months in Las Vegas
in-home maternity session including toddler in Las Vegas

I do offer an incentive of discounted maternity, Fresh 48, and newborn sessions for all of my birth clients, as I am so passionate about the story behind each birth, and adding maternity, Fresh 48, or newborn sessions does bring those full stories circle.

In the year ahead, my birth clients will have priority in scheduling these sessions, another decision that has been hard to make, but I want to be sure that I am fully present for each session that I book and available for when births do happen.

I documented 14 newborns in 2019!

Moving away from the posed studio into clients’ homes, I knew I would not be for everyone. I am so grateful for the past clients that stuck with me during this transition and for clients that booked me as a lifestyle in-home newborn!

in-home newborn session after the loss of your baby
newborn session using milk bath and flowers in Las Vegas after baby released from NICU
in-home newborn session using Dodger's fan wear in Las Vegas
in-hone newborn session using hospital room for parents of surrogate baby in Las Vegas
in-home newborn session with older siblings holding baby in Las Vegas
in-home newborn session using guitar in Las Vegas
in-home newborn session with military family in Las Vegas
in-home newborn session using parent's bed
in-home newborn session using window light in Las Vegas

Five of my newborns were also birth story clients. It was such a beautiful way to honestly tell their story, having followed them through the birth of their baby to a home where so many beautiful memories will be made. Moving forward for newborn sessions, my birth clients will have priority in filling my newborn spaces on the calendar, once again, to ensure that I have availability for them and provide my clients with the best experience possible!

On this year’s blessings side of this year- I had worked hard to keep my nursing and photography careers separate over the years and never talked about my business with patients. I never wanted there to be a conflict of interest or make my patients or staff I worked alongside uncomfortable. Most of the OB/GYNs I worked with had no idea I was a photographer. Right before I retired from the hospital, I was offered the opportunity to bid alongside other talented photographers in hanging my art on the halls that lined the remodel of the new Birth Place hallways. I won the bid and could hang 70 pieces of large prints of my work along the hallways I had worked on for 19 years. It indeed was a dream come true.

The most incredible part of this story is that the last patient I delivered found me this way. Not knowing she was finding me, we were both blown away when we put it together! I documented a part of their NICU journey, and they’re bringing her home! I told you this year was incredible!

I documented 11 Fresh 48 sessions! As a new offering for Little Loo Photography, I am pretty excited about that and hope to add more of these in 2020. They have my heart, everything is still so fresh and new, and it is a beautiful option for families who aren’t able to invest in a birth story.

fresh 48 with older sibling meeting new baby brother at St. Rose San Martin in Las Vegas
Fresh 48 session using hospital room at Summerlin hospital in Las Vegas
Fresh 48 session after home birth using mom's tub and milk bath
Fresh 48 session in Las Vegas using hospital isolette and wrap
Fresh 48 session in NICU
herbal bath after birth at home in Las Vegas
Fresh 48 session after surrogate delivery at Centennial hospital in Las Vegas
Fresh 48 session using dad's hands holding baby in black and white
big sister meeting her new baby sister after delivery at St. Rose San Martin hospital in Las Vegas
big brother meeting his new baby brother after coming home from the hospital
newborn features during Fresh 48 session after home birth in las Vegas

I was blessed enough to document 19 families this year!

As I said, it was harder to schedule these alongside my birth clients, and as much as I love them, I will have to continue to limit these in 2020, as there is not enough space on the calendar. Be sure to book yours well in advance for this year!

in-home milestone session at 3 months of age.
in  home family session for autism awareness in Las Vegas
6 month session outdoors at local park with whole family
fun family session with sisters and grandchildren as gift to grandma for mother's day
six month session at home with baby and family in Las Vegas
family session with mom and dad alone in Valley of Fire
NICU session with premature baby in Summerlin hospital in Las Vegas
The Luedtke family together in 2019 at the Valley of Fire
Dan and Christine Brite together at home in Colorado

I launched my first ‘The Story ‘ giveaway in 2018 and had the opportunity to document the story of Dan Brite and his road to recovery in 2019. It is a beautiful story of family strength and determination. My life will be forever changed by having the opportunity to tell this story.

one year session as the final session in the year in the life session with birth client
the Ricks family in Las Vegas during fall family session
fun and playful family session outdoors in Las Vegas
the Barker fall family session 2019 on Mt. Charleston
dad holding son during outdoor family session using fall colors in Las Vegas
in-home family session playing games together in living room with children
in-home family session to document important milestones in the lives of families in Las Vegas
fun and playful family session with family sitting together on blanket
the Jones family telling their story for Focus on the Family talking candidly about their marriage.
mom and daughter together during family session in the outlying areas of Las Vegas
9 month session in-home to document first year milestones in Las Vegas

To continue sharing my year of incredible blessings, I was offered the opportunity by Focus on the Family to document a beautiful family sharing their story on the redemption and restoration of their marriage in the upcoming Spring issue of their magazine. This ministry has deeply impacted my life, and the opportunity to work on a project with them that is so impactful and intimate was a dream come true!

And lastly, I had a few sessions out of my usual work, but for friends and family that had booked me in advance!

Ronald Hemphill Jr graduates from the University of Nevada Reno
April Clyde wedding in Las Vegas in 2019
engagement session at Crystal Cove Laguna Beach
graduation from nursing school later in life at Lake Las Vegas

If you made it all the way through, thank you so much! Thank you for following me, trusting me with your stories, and believing in me! I told you it was an incredibly blessed year; it will certainly be hard to follow!

In 2020 I will focus even more on birth and growing in this genre and on giving back to my community, which has given me so much. I am excited about what lies ahead!

2019 Favorites

Monday, January 20th, 2020

Warriors bleed blue emblem on wheelchair of Dan Brite

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The Dan Brite Story

The story of Dan Brite and his family is one that touched me right to the core the first time I heard it, and even deeper still in the telling of it.

I have always been drawn to the story because I truly believe everyone has one, and it is in the telling of stories that we often times find hope, for healing, and inspiration.

As 2018 ended, I decided to launch my first The Story Giveaway for 2019, to spend time telling the story of one family, individual, or organization. I was pretty overwhelmed by the response I received and deeply touched by the stories that poured in. The task of choosing just one was so difficult, I would have loved to tell them all.

Dan and Christine were nominated by their friend Anitra, who has followed my work and has always been so kind and a huge supporter of me and my business.

As I continued to narrow down my selections after reading through every story multiple times and spending time in prayer, I just kept coming back to their story. The telling of it would mean traveling to Denver, but felt that it was a story worth traveling for!

Dan and Christine are both police officers with Douglas County in Denver, CO. At the time of their story, Dan served as a SWAT team leader and plain clothes detective, Christine as Detective Sergeant over the Special Victim’s Unit, and as a trained negotiator. Both were in roles they had worked hard to achieve, and both had long careers within law enforcement.

On September 02, 2016, Detective Dan Brite responded to a call involving a heavily armed man threatening police and others in an area near a hospital, assisted living facility, and elementary school. As the suspect eluded police and then returned to his home, where he had additional weapons stored, it became vital to stop him from entering his residence. As Dan led the team to intercept the suspect, he was shot in the line of duty. As the call unfolded, Christine was en route to the scene as a negotiator. It was while listening to radio transmissions that she learned that it was Dan that had been shot.

Their lives were forever changed in a moment. Detective Brite was transported quickly to the hospital by his team (which was vital in his survival). He had no pulse upon arrival at the hospital and twice endured full cardiac resuscitation. The second required his chest opening for manual cardiac massage as a last life-saving effort.

In the meantime, the suspect continued to elude police and arrived at the exterior of the same hospital where Dan was, and opened fire, it was here that he was eventually shot and killed by a fellow officer.

It wasn’t until hours after Dan arrived at the hospital that Christine could finally see him. Dan remained in critical condition. Both Christine and his daughter Ashley stood by his bedside throughout the night, and they both describe it as the longest night of their lives.
Dan remained unconscious for 11 days. It was in the uncertainty of what their life would look like and what type of long-term damage Dan would suffer those close friends, pastor, family, and law enforcement community surrounded them, held them, and prayed for them.

Christine describes sitting in a small room with two close friends and a pastor from work; as they talked and began praying, Christine felt a sense of relief, one that overcame her entire body. It was at this point that she placed the worry in God’s hands. She believed He wanted her to know that He was in control and would take care of Dan.

When Dan finally woke up, they discovered that through the aggressive life-saving interventions, he had suffered damage leaving him paralyzed from the mid-torso down. It was a devastating blow for them all.

After 5 weeks in the ICU unit, Dan was finally released to a rehabilitation hospital where he would spend the next two and a half months of his recovery learning how to live life in a wheelchair. It was just the beginning of a dark and difficult journey as he learned he had to depend on others.

Dan shared with me that as a man, father, and police officer, this was incredibly difficult. Dan describes the loss of his identity as one of the most difficult aspects of his recovery and one of the hardest to overcome. The realities of what he had lost and learning to accept life in a wheelchair were incredibly difficult for him. He struggled to find ways to deal with the loss. He became more depressed, angry, and irritated to the point of suicidal thoughts.

Dan and Christine have two beautiful daughters, and their journey was difficult not only for Dan but also for Christine and their daughters as they all struggled to navigate what their new life would be like. Their oldest daughter Ashley had just graduated high school, and their youngest, Addison, was just nine years old. Christine attempted to maintain a somewhat normal life for their daughters while being the emotional and physical support that not only Dan but their two daughters needed.

Christine says that when Dan came home in December 2016, everyone thought he was “better.” Little did people know they were struggling with the mental side of healing. Dan was extremely depressed. He slept 15+ hours a day, refused to get out of bed, hardly ate, and hated his life. She struggled with helping him and began experiencing caretaker fatigue. He was always upset, yelled a lot, and was never happy. It took a long time to adjust to the new style of living. They had to move from their home to a more wheelchair accessible one. She had to drive him to every appointment (there were LOTS!), and take kids to school, all while maintaining the household inside and out.

Through seeing a therapist, life became more manageable. The therapist zoned in on their trauma and provided them with tools and techniques to live the life they deserve. They still struggle with a lack of adaptable places, a lack of wheelchair-accessible parking spots, and cracks in sidewalks. They have learned to look for elevators and ramps. Dan still has lots of physical pain, complications (gallbladder removed, blood clots), and various medical issues that people aren’t always aware of.

Dan Brite at a church service in Parker, Colorado where he found hope and healing after being shot in the line of duty.

At Christine’s prompting, Dan began to attend church with her. During his first few visits, while listening to a sermon called Shipwrecked, Dan began to see the hope in his struggles. It became a turning point in his emotional recovery. It was in these days that he began to cling to that hope with white-knuckle strength. It was here that he began to see his purpose and his new identity. Dan has now become a huge advocate for mental health in the first responder community and a strong voice for suicide prevention among first responders.

Dan also describes the importance of community support in his recovery. Not only did friends, family, and community come alongside them in those first days and weeks, but three years later, they continued to stand with them and show up time and time again.

Warriors bleed blue emblem on wheelchair of Dan Brite
Dan Brite and his family Memorial Day weekend at Fort Logan

Dan describes his community as his safety net during these times and says their support and encouragement kept him from falling into a deeper depression.

Because of the impact of community and support on Dan and his recovery, his mission encouraged others to lean on that support, seek help when needed, and provide resources for first responders dealing with the mental struggles that they see and deal with daily. In this, he has found his new identity and continues to be a part of law enforcement now as Deputy in the role of Wellness Coordinator. He now spends time talking to first responders and encourages them to talk about their struggles.

Dan Brite placing flowers on graves at Logan Cemetery on Memorial Day

They have learned that they can do things they used to, which may look a little different, but the wheelchair has not stopped them from doing the things they love together as a family. They travel, fish, camp, and have found new hope because of the change in priorities that Dan’s injuries have brought.

Dan Brite getting in his wheelchair modified truck in Denver, Colorado.
Dan Brite at home with his wife Christine using mechanical legs provided by Home Depot in Denver, Colorado

What I was struck most by when I spent with them in their home while documenting their story was their willingness to be vulnerable. Their willing to share not only the victories but the struggles they overcame and still face individually and together as a family.

Ashley and Addison Brite jumping on a trampoline in Denver Colorado

Their daughters Ashley and Addison both talked openly about their struggles, from the fear of losing their dad, to the pain of seeing him suffer. They also shared the same gratitude in what coming through the other side of the darkest days has done for their relationship with each other, their dad, and Christine. They have all learned to communicate and express their love for each other out loud by being there for each other.

The Brite Family in 2019 in Denver Colorado after telling their story.
Ashley and Addison Brite talk about the difficulties when their father was shot in the line of duty.
Dan and Christine Brite together during the telling of their story in 2019
Ashley Brite and Addison Brite together in Denver Colorado
Dan and Christine Brite together in uniform after Dan Brite was shot in the line of duty.

The overwhelming message from them is that there is hope. There is hope through the struggles and darkest days, and they have made it their mission to share that hope with others.

Dan and Christine have created a foundation, the Dan Brite Scholorship, to give back to the community that has held them so well. Their foundation selects recipients for college/trade school scholarships.

Dan and Christine Brite together walking with him in his wheelchair and Christine walking beside him.
wrapping up the filming of the Brite story by Lisa Weingardt in Denver Colorado
Detective Dan Brite

Beyond the Darkest Days

Monday, December 2nd, 2019

As long as I can remember I have been drawn to stories and the people, like you, that make them worthwhile.

It’s an honor that you let me capture yours.

let's capture the beginning of it all. 

Big feelings, big changes, and big experiences are on the horizon

DOCUMENTARY BIRTH PHOTOS & FILM