Augie's Sports Grill

The past few months, I have been writing feature articles on restaurants for West Valley Health and Living magazine. The owner and editor like my writing, and have made me the the go-to girl for all the upcoming restaurant features. After learning that I am photographer, they are also interested in giving me photo assignments. Not only is it great experience for my photography, it also gives me extra incentive to go and visit all of the restaurants that I am writing about, and a chance to sample the food. I'm a sucker for new restaurants, especially when they are small, privately-owned, mom-and-pop shops that serve up unique cuisine.

Yesterday, my hubby, baby, and I headed up to Goodyear, AZ  to Augie's Sports Grill for my first paid photo assignment for the magazine. Walking in, it looks like your typical sports bar--a large open room with a full-service bar, and flat-screen TV's mounted at every possible angle. The food, however, is anything but typical sports bar fare. We started with the stuffed mushrooms--large portabello mushroom caps stuffed with Italian sausage and topped with melted mozzarella and a delicious red tomato sauce. Steven ordered the Johnny Boy--a half-pound bacon cheese burger--and I ordered the Buffalo Chicken sandwich, both of which were served on a homemade soft pretzel bun. All I have to say is, nothing I eat from now on is going to taste right without that pretzel bun. It was amazing, and Augie's is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. Here are a few photos from my visit.

The F Family

Thunderstorms and drizzling rain threw a bit of a wrench into my photo shoot with the F family. We'd been planning to take photos both at home and at the park, but ended up staying at the house because of the weather. It didn't seem to bother young M or her big brother B one bit. These kids are so gorgeous, it's like they were born to be in front of the camera. We had fun just hanging out and playing. Thank you M and B, for sharing your morning with me! Here are a few of my favorites from our shoot:

Little B

I was so happy to be able to meet up with H, a friend from high school, a few hours before I had to catch my plane back to Arizona. Her little boy, B, was just a week shy of his 2nd birthday, and absolutely adorable! We got permission to shoot some photos in the neighbors' gorgeous yards, and little B was having a great time roaming around and exploring. Here are a few of my favorites from our day together.

The M-R Family

I think the best part of my job as a photographer is getting to connect with old friends, and take photos of their families. J, my best friend from high school, just had her third son, and I was honored that she asked me to photograph her handsome boys on my recent trip back home to Nebraska. We met up at the park, and I had a great time seeing her two oldest sons G and L, and meeting Baby B for the first time! Here are a few of my favorite shots from our afternoon together.

O Twins in Black & White

Just a few Black & White conversions from my recent photo shoot with the O Twins.