prairie letter shop brand film

Brand films are something I'm passionate about. It's like telling a love story between a person and their craft. They are the kind of story I'm inspired to tell. I love to get to the 'why' behind someone's work and show that facet back to them and to their clients. I think there is so much value in putting your heart out there and I love creating artistic visuals as a way to do that.

"Especially when you have an online business, visuals are the primary method for building trust with your clients. Social media and blog images are helpful, but the online world has become so saturated with photos that video is a necessary way to set your brand apart. When your audience can not only see your craft in action but also hear your voice, they begin to feel like they know you. Words can only convey so much. The attention span of the average consumer is short. Video helps grab the attention of those you want to get to know and gives you the floor. It's an extremely powerful tool for sharing the heart and mission of your business--one that simply cannot be matched by other media." -Alex Estes, Prairie Letter Shop

Here's a glimpse into the heart of Alex's hand lettering business. You already know lots of this if you have ever worked with her. Her sweet nature and amazing talent shines through and makes everyone who works with her feel SO lucky to be working with her.

kayla & quin

These two just melt me. They are so happy together and there's just something so tender about this set of photos for me. They let me come in and shoot them doing lots of 'boring' things one morning early this year. They were actually my first session of 2017! What a great way to set the tone of my work this year- humble and joyful and tender. 

lamb family

"We contacted Molly in an effort to capture the innocence and the simplicity and the joy of being 3 years old and 6 years old. We didn't want to chance forgetting the everyday moments that make life with our boys so special. Her work magically transformed the ordinary into extraordinary. We are so thankful she shared her talents with us!" -Kendall Lamb

These sweet boys were SO fun. They gave so much life to this session, you can see their personalities and their joy just beaming out of them. 
And I love that their parents wanted to get just a genuine glimpse at their days. It allows me to do what I truly love. And capture cute concentration faces and reaction-to-icing faces. 

somehow cleansed by the ashes

December 9th, 2016 we came home to a bunch of flashing lights and firemen in our house. An electrical fire had taken most everything we owned from us while we were out with friends. Shock is a funny thing, everything that night is a blur but certain things stand out. My husband burying his beloved pet. The way the heap of rubble (our charred belongings and art and keepsakes) in our backyard steamed. A fireman telling us "Happiness isn't in the things. It's in the love you guys have. BOOM." and making us giggle. Lots of hugs. Realizing that I lost everything I had ever created in one fell unexpected swoop. How cold it was. Saying "I am so glad you're okay" to each other a hundred, maybe a thousand, times. Shock at finding my camera bag and it was okay, like WHAT. The way our people truly showed up for us. That stomach-drop feeling over the next few weeks as we realized forgotten things that we lost. This process has been heartbreaking and heart warming all at once. Which is overwhelming at best. And oh, so humbling. 

I learned what matters to me so fast. My husband. A few books, our artwork, our blankets and things that were handmade for us. My letters and our travel photos. Now I know, like truly know, what matters to me. What to hold on to. What a crazy way to learn about letting go of things.

In that weekend alone, in two days, we were shown more support and love than I think either of us can comprehend (STILL). Our GoFundMe reached fulfillment and then DOUBLED and I am still more in shock about that than I am about the house fire. People we have never met just donating their money to us. Friends and strangers gifting us artwork to restart our collection. Sweet unfamiliar faces with bags of clothing. The way that people had our backs and really felt our pain is something I will be processing and learning how to pay forward for years. And lots of them were strangers- the most gracious, kind strangers. I feel so inspired to be the type of people we have been shown. I want to be a gracious stranger.

I do know this- my house was one way that I took care of people. I wanted them to come in and feel loved and warm and taken care of.  And I know that all of these people giving us all of these things and support is just to replenish us. To replenish our taking-care-of abilities. I cannot wait to love on everyone who steps through our new door. And everyone I hear of that needs support.

I'm not posting this to make you feel bad for us, or to gather any more "I'm sorry"s. I'm posting this because I have to acknowledge it to move on from it. I am ready to post the new work I am making for 2017 and I felt weird doing that without acknowledging this absolutely life-changing and work-changing thing. I am so ready to move forward. This has been the most twisted, heartbreaking, insightful, beautiful gift.

"The best is yet to come." Out of all of my hundreds of greeting cards, this is the one that shows its face in the rubble. I choose to believe it. 

fowlers

This family means so so much to me. They are some of our best friends and now neighbors! I've been documenting their family since the beginning of Goldie's life. Most often, I film them. But this time I got to photograph them and I loved every minute of it! 

Goldie's personality has been so bright since the beginning and watching her grow up is one of the top highlights of my life so far. And watching your best friends become parents is just the sweetest thing. It makes you swell right up. I am so proud to call them my people. 

valerie & evan

I LOVE THIS SESSION. I love these two and their magical house and their sweet love. 

My eagerness to post these is such a good feeling. Making something that feels so authentic and happy is so rejuvenating.
It super helps that Val & Evan are some of our closest friends. We have a bimonthly dinner that leaves us all with headaches from laughing so hard. The best kind of gathering ends that way.  Shooting close friends actually allowed me to get even more intimate interactions because their comfort with me was already established. So we started the session with creativity and trust flowing freely. And that's where the magic happens. At this intersection of creativity and trust, that's where the genuine joy and authenticity comes out to play. 

leah & oli

Little explorer Oli. Wandering with him and his momma was just what my spirit needed. They have such a calm, curious, kind way about them. I love watching Leah mother Oli with such a playful tenderness. And I love watching Oli take in the world and seeing it through his little eyes for a minute.

ty 6 months

The Shipley's are always fun to photograph! They have so much fun with their son and it conveys in photographs beautifully. I love it when they can't take their eyes off of each other and their baby! So much good work is made with clients like that. 
And prepare for the. cutest. thing. Terrie told me that Ty loves bubble baths so of course we had to work that into their session! I will say it over and over again, I LOVE photographing real life things.  Enjoy this sweetness.