{aubrey pettit photography}

Beautiful black and white

2012-03-09T06:26:00.000-08:00

safe in her arms...

{St. George tmeple}

2012-02-23T19:01:00.000-08:00

So this is where I got married. About the time of year these pictures were taken. I'm a pretty lucky girl. This one is my favorite.

The Mormon church has a lot of things going for it, but being able to get married in a real life castle is pretty high up there on the lists. The promises we make here are pretty awesome too.

My Mom wanted a print from my own creation for Christmas. She chose the one above. I think I created some unique perspectives. I think I'm also the only one who tried to take pictures of this massive building with a 50 mm prime lens. I probably should have called one of my photog friends in St. George to see if I could borrow some equipment, but what was a girl to do. That's all I had.

I'm happy to answer any questions about my faith.

and I may be willing to disclose full versions of these prints to anyone who wants them for a small price. email me and we'll talk. :)

hugs and kisses

2012-02-21T18:28:00.000-08:00

They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything. - Bil Keane

Do they love each other?

yes

Do they always act like it?

No.

Was this a miracle?

yes.

Things I love about it?

Her hand in his hair. That's probably my favorite thing to do. The look of happiness on her face. His arms around her.

and the light.

It's a contest at iheartfaces.com!

oh so silly

2012-01-31T18:20:00.000-08:00

I gave birth to a boy with major loads of personality. He has many expressions. But this is one of my favorite. Laughing out loud, eyes closed. As if he can hide in it or something. He just makes my heart melt.

It's a contest over at iheartfaces.com

my cousin sadie

2012-01-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

I was just there to observe and watch and I had a wonderful time practicing on this couple that is absolutely perfect for each other. They are both so fun! It was incredible to be with them.Don't be too harsh on my lighting techniques. the sun was terrible and there was no open shade and I wasn't their photographer so I couldn't put them where I wanted them... :) So here you go.... from mine eyes.

the book

2012-01-24T13:38:00.000-08:00

This book. It has no plot. It has no story. It has no characters. It is simply a book of words.

And somehow, my daughter thinks it's the most fascinating book on the planet and has loved it her whole life. Does that mean she'll read Encyclopedias when she grows up? I hope so. I hope she reads whatever she wants.

With her Grandparents. There's a contest over at iheartfaces.com

family fun

2012-01-17T11:52:00.000-08:00

I have a great belief in families. That they can be fun, uplifting, a shelter from the world a great place for growth and trials but best of all happy... oh so happy. I love that EVERYONE in this photo exudes joy. Pure joy.

"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord, Jesus Christ." -The Family: A Proclamation to the World. (LDS church) This family exemplifies such happiness.

It's a contest over at iheartfaces.

{favorite face 2011}

2012-01-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

Pretty sure this kid has the best face of 2011. Anytime you look at him, there's no such thing as boring. Sad, happy, mad, excited, surprised. He could be an actor with that face. Anyone who knows him, knows his awesome scowl. But what they don't know is that his smiles are just as awesome.

First contest over at iheartfaces.com of 2012

{on your feet}

2011-12-06T10:54:00.001-08:00

"Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads." - Henry David Thoreau

Self-portrait with the timer and tripod. Me and My hubby... :) I love him. I have to admit, that my feet are my favorite part of my body. And they're pretty amazing that they can support as much as they do.

It's a contest over at iheartfaces.com

'bust a gut'

2011-11-28T11:04:00.001-08:00

"A good laugh is sunshine in the house."
-William Makepeace Thackeray

I don't know what I said, but something must have been really funny. I love the light. I love her cute natural pose and I love her blue shoes. She loves them too. Isn't she darling?

Find something to make you smile over at iheartfaces.com

{black}

2011-11-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

"Personality is the glitter that sends your little gleam across the footlights and the orchestra pit into that big black space where the audience is."

~Mae West

This challenge was so hard for me. If I have a choice, I don't usually choose to put black in my photos. I'm ALWAYS looking for the light and color. But maybe if I start looking for the black space... or the inverse of the light. I might find what I've been looking for. This little black ensemble helps to heighten personality and it shows through brighter then ever. She was a peacock for Halloween. She loved it! Her squawk sounded pretty good too.

There's a contest over at iheartfaces.com

{let them be little}

2011-10-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

"A great man is always willing to be little." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sometimes he makes expressions like a man. But just look at that tiny body. How can those eyes know so much?

It's a contest over at iheartfaces.com

{joshy}

2011-10-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down."- Arnold Glasgow

Jeff's new besty is Joshy... He screams it every time we get near his house.

This is SO cute. You say "BYU is number .... " and Joshy sticks his little finger up in the air like this and says "Two!" (sshhh, don't tell his Daddy.)

He's so cuddly. He loves to snuggle.

And he has the prettiest eyes.

They love to explore together.

I just love this one of Jeff. Can't beat that darling expression!

{pink}

2011-10-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

"I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and... I believe in miracles."
-Audrey Hepburn

I know lots of girls love pink. But for me it's not the love of pink, but the ability to wear pink and be proud of it. Or rather to be happy with yourself just the way you are. This little girl loves hats and long hair. Dressing up. Playing with chalk and chasing her brother down the street in her high-fashion heels. I want her to always have this kind of confidence in her body and herself.

My grandmother passed away from breast cancer on her 2nd bout of it. I feel that she's guided me my whole life. I know she led me to my family. and has guided me to my husband. and been there when I needed someone to hold me. She works hand in hand with the angels.

I, too, believe in miracles.

It's a contest over at iheartfaces.com

{i think we can all relate}

2011-09-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

Mom..... no more pictures.... here's your lens cap... no more pictures!!!!
haha.

it's a contest over at iheartfaces!

{a little touch of sunshine}

2011-09-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

Just there... on the top of his head... making his blonde hair look even blonder.... And that quirky smile. And the drool. And those big beautiful hazel eyes where I can't ever figure out what color they are. I know he's doing something mischievous. Look at that sparkle in his eyes... definitely mischievous. That's what makes him a little touch of sunshine. There's some beautiful backlighting in some of the photos over at iheartfaces.com.

Go be inspired.

{white}

2011-08-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

I've been inspired by my friend. She's had a rough couple of months. Even though the challenges I've had are infinitely smaller than hers, somehow I feel connected to her. Her challenge started like this:

"Last night was a hard night to fall asleep. I laid on Eric's chest sobbing, soaking his shirt with my tears. The day was not easy. There was a lot of contention between us. Feeling helpless is not an easy feeling to deal with, when help is out of your grasp. We were both upset, not knowing what to do, where to turn, and who to talk to in order to get the help we need." - L. Marsing

Her husband had just been diagnosed with testicular cancer. This is how I would feel the next morning. Wrapped in my husbands shirt. Just to smell him. The way he is. To be alone. in my bathroom. Feeling so small. helpless.

Praying to God that it would be alright. Just that it would be alright.

And then to have to live my day. and meet him once more. and think

"This is heartbreaking and scary, and once again I feel helpless. I [am] grateful to have a loving husband wrap his arms around me, and let me cry to him. This day was not easy, but it is over."
-L. Marsing

Very powerful. Inspiring woman. I'm proud to call her my friend. She is so grateful for things I've taken for granted.

This is me, self portrait. In my husbands shirt, in my bathroom. and my humble representation of her.

It's a contest over at iheartfaces.com . They've definitely inspired me to expand my horizons.

{gleam}

2011-08-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

"I have been overcome by the beauty and richness of our life together, those early mornings setting out, those evenings gleaming with rivers and lakes below us, still holding the last light."
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

She's my little gleam.

{eyes}

2011-08-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

"The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides."

~ Audrey Hepburn

They are the windows to her soul. When I look at them, I see beauty, love, happiness, confidence and strength. She can move mountains with those eyes. Even now, I wonder who she's looking at. Why she's looking at them and what they did to warrant her sweet smile. There's a TON of entries over at iheartfaces.com Make your way on over to be inspired.

{you're my best friend}

2011-08-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

I realize that my post may be a little biased this time, but I am in love with these two and they totally love each other. They hug and kiss and protect, just like siblings should, but they also step on each other, bite, hit and pinch... just like siblings do. This really needed a series of pictures to show how hard they worked to get this kite up together. You can almost see little J willing that Kite up with his head. They do things like this together all the time. For some reason, they're able to communicate on a whole other level. I'm so proud to call them mine. At least in this post... :)

Look at the other friends over at iheartfaces.com. It's a contest!

{water}

2011-07-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

my little girl... looking for seashells... on the beach. We had so much fun swimming, playing and planning art projects to use these seashells in.

Things I love: the wind in her hair, the waves rolling in, the intent look on her face, and the reflection of her arm in the water sodden sand.

Much more water over at iheartfaces.com

{party in the u.s.a.}

2011-07-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know why but this song comes to mind when I look at this picture. What a fun sunday summer evening to dress up like this... a dress of her own making, and dance to your own internal rhythm. I wish we could all be so uninhibited.

I think it's an excellent use of props.

Check out all the other cute props over at...

{whimsy}

2011-06-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

Whimsy... I think of Alice in Wonderland. I think. Does anyone really know what it means? Me either. But for some reason... this sentence sounds good to me:

There's nothing more whimsical than a couple of best friends... leaping like frogs... in their dresses.

and trust me when I say that these two are BEST friends.

Check out iheartfaces for more definitions of 'whimsy'.

{let's hear it for the boys!}

2011-06-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? I'm back! And I'm going again full force. I thought this shot was PERFECT for my come-back. I took pictures of this adorable little guy, shortly before I moved and man... he is definitely gonna be a football player. All chunk and boy is he FAST. I love the light. I love the natural smiles on Daddy and boy. I love that they're enjoying the moment. I love the evening sunshine.

Head on over here... to see more entries.

strength and love

2011-06-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

This little family exudes such strength and love. I can't get enough of them. This beautiful woman was my walking buddy. I say was, because I just moved. I was so sad to leave them behind. Now I'll have to find a new way to exercize. Her hubby was just diagnosed with cancer and they've had a complete upheaval of their lives. They STILL have it all together. I'm so impressed with them. Their faith and strength will get them there. You can tell they really love each other. I'm so proud to call them my friends. But they're pretty darn cute too... Hope you enjoy!

Rem rem

2011-06-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

This family was just darling!!! The little guy is SO energetic. I don't know how this Mom does it. She's an amazing working Mom, and I've had the pleasure of getting to know the oldest teaching her piano. She's adorable. Enjoy this fun session!

{motherly love}

2011-05-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

I love the glow. and the look on mommy's face. like I'll protect you.

cousins!

2011-05-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

A and J got their first cousin on my side. Aint he adorable? He officially has a name and a blessing now.

His Dad was wearing his namesake's shirt.

Pre-blessing bath....

say it with me .... awwww.

My Mom wanted me to try and get a cousins picture. Most of them turned out like these top two.

But we eventually got a pretty good one. So darling.

{wind}

2011-04-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

I love how her light colored hair blows across her thick beautiful dark lashes. She IS beautiful. It's the contest over at iheartfaces.com this week. Should be an awesome week. I LOVE wind in my photos.

{shadows}

2011-04-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

during the early morning play time.

Lots of other cool shadow pictures over here.

{favorite photo}

2011-04-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

It's a contest! I love the distortion... the crazy fingers... and the catch lights. This is Saturday morning at my house.

Head on over to iheartfaces.com to see the other awesome photos

{sullivan}

2011-03-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

This cute little kid was 7 days old and he does not follow the rules when it's suggested to him that newborns are supposed to sleep all the time. Closed his eyes for maybe 20 minutes while I was there. He's so super cute though and he has one beautiful mama.

This table was made by his great great grandfather. However, as you will notice, it's tile. babies do not like cold.... so the two pictures we got on this adorable thing were either screaming or binky.

Ah... now I'm all shnuggly and warm.

I love the little hairs on their back and their teeny tiny toes. So cute.

She has the Momma's touch.

See.... Wide open. So cute!

Thanks for a wonderful visit. You have the sweetest family and the most adorable house.

{fenway}

2011-03-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is my nephew. He's cute, huh? His nickname is Fenway. Still not great at the whole newborn thing. But will get better in time. :)

{slice of life}

2011-03-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

I'm sad that I missed the deadline for this contest over at my usual place of contest. But I just had to post it. This is Saturday morning at our house.... After we make our pancakes. :)

{sun flare}

2011-03-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

This little guy always sucks his thumb. I Love him dearly. He was watching his sister feed the ducks. And he was 4 hours past nap time. Pretty cheerful considering how tired he was. Sunshine is so beautiful this time of year. Here's to Sunny days ahead!

{february face}

2011-03-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

Yes... I want that cupcake too.

fabulous eh?

it's a contest over at iheartfaces.com!

{my 'baby' sister}

2011-03-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

Is having a baby of her own. As of now, they're taking name suggestions. I can't believe she's going to be a Mommy. I'm so proud to be her sister. I can't wait to meet my new nephew. He will be adorable... or maybe strong... or maybe awesome.... :)
Isn't she pretty?

Mitzi thinks she's pretty important. She's probably right. :)

{piano hands}

2011-02-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

The theme at iheartfaces.com this week is 'anything but a face'. My family is very musical we spend much of our Sunday's right here on this heirloom piano. This piano is over 100 years old and this will be the 5th generation of piano players learning how to play on this piano of mine. I am grateful for these hands on this piano that make my life full of music and love. Head on over there to see some non-faces.

p.s. notice the tongue? He's obviously trying very hard to outplay his Daddy.

{red}

2011-02-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

In honor of Go Red for Women and Valentine's Day. ihearfaces.com is doing a special contest on red. I'd been racking my brain on ways to be creative or stand out or use some awesome props. And believe me, I have some awesome props in red. I even have a pillow that says Call Your Mother all in red capital letters. However I was relaxing on the couch with my husband a few nights ago and all of a sudden he turns to me and says. Is that your heart beat or mine? So we test it to find out. As I take my own pulse I realize that my heart rate is BELOW 60. We're talking athlete heart rate. I've been really struggling with my body image lately wondering why I can't get those last few pounds off from baby J. But as I listened to my own HEALTHY heart rate I realized that I have a beautiful strong body. Full of power and in good health. I'm training for my first 5K in march. Don't worry... that's a HUGE feat for me. It may be a little more difficult to zip up those pants, but my heart is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm proud of all the work I put into it. Here's me in my confident new/ or not so new body. But with a whole new outlook on me. Check out all the red over there.

{happy heart day!}

2011-02-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

Love, A

Feel the wind in your hair.

Have your cake and eat it too.

Feel beautiful in your skin.

{i heart...}

2011-02-06T22:24:00.000-08:00

This little pumpkin. We like playing love-heart-toe during February. She's just now beginning to understand how to play it and it's so much fun. She gets so excited every time I win AND everytime she wins. She looks so good in wind. They're having a contest over at iheartfaces.com It must have a heart. My entry has two. Little ones. in pink. Stay tuned for more awesome ones from this windy adventure.

Click the link below to get back there...

{innocent wonder}

2011-01-24T17:58:00.000-08:00

One of the things that makes children so wonderful, is that they are so curious about the world. How would it be to wonder so much about the world that you stick anything and everything in your mouth, just to see what it tasted like. I love when babies are this age. They have a wonderful curiosity, a love of life and big eyes full of wonder. What I wouldn't give to put myself in their shoes and really appreciate life for what it is. Toes, for the way they're shaped to support my body. The joy I can get from just being outside in a wonderful body in a wonderful world.

This wonderful competition is over at iheartfaces.com There's a ton of talent over there! Check it out.

{winter wonderland}

2011-01-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

These are especially hard to find round here. I feel a little gypped. But I did my best. At least we can see snow from our house, right? That way we get the benefits of the beauty and we get to dress like this. Totally warm, possibly 65 degrees in this picture. In our own little way. THIS is our winter wonderland. We get to venture outside and PRETEND like we're getting some air on our snowboards. AND we get to do all other sorts of things like play tennis, go running, and play at the park. I give my husband props for his excellent modeling skills.

And that mountain's not that far away. If we want to we can go sledding anytime we want. :)... or snowboarding... you pick. :)

This is for a contest over at

The snow pics over there are GORGEOUS. It ALMOST makes me wish I lived there. :)

I placed!!!!

2011-01-18T10:02:00.000-08:00

Seriously! I was on cloud 9 when I found out. And I just have to say... possibly the best birthday present ever!

{smiles}

2011-01-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

i heart faces does weekly challenges and I've made it a goal to start doing them. Should be a year full of fun! I LOVED checking out some of the smiles. Seriously makes me smile.

I had these great intentions to get WONDERFUL pictures of my darling daughter. It was SO windy that it didn't work for me. I left the shoot feeling frustrated and about ready to give up the camera... well,.... for the day. But I got home and looked and got THIS!!! Possibly my favorite picture ever. It makes me laugh!

hard work

2011-01-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

colorful post processing

Door light

Black and White post processing

Sunshine processing

Full sun proper exposure.

{an eye opening 10 minutes}

2010-12-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

When you spend a lot of time with people in stressful situations or in large groups they are different than how they act normally. I already LOVED this little family. But when I got to see them just by themselves I was Very impressed with the chemistry they had with each other. I took 10 shots total of this cute little family due to lack of battery. But I'm pretty pleased with what I got. I hope they enjoy!

{from our haunters to yours}

2010-11-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

{bettering myself}

2010-10-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

My photogtraphy had kinda been put on hold for a little while and I've been able to really expand and read and devour everything lately and I've been loving it. I've convinced myself that I love my journey that I always want to do better but I have to recognize that I will never have the equipment I WANT, or the computer I NEED, but I will always have my beautiful kids and beautiful moments that I want to remember. So... I've been learning how to make the most of every situation.

I love my son. Getting him warmed up to moving to Texas. :) We took this at the local orchard in Las Vegas. Love it!

My Grandpa participates in the Huntsman World Senior Games every year in St. George and as he is getting older he gets more and more worn out. I thought this was so cute, the basketball in the perfect position, I couldn't have planned it better. I love you Grandpa!

Mr. P. LOVES to play guitar on Sunday mornings. Somedays I find it annoying and insensitive because I'm scrambling around trying to get kids ready for church, but other days. I adore it. He is so focused and internalized when he plays.

A's BFF K. We invited her over to paint nails one morning this week. She chose blue with sparkles. We will miss her tremendously.

Jeff scrunches his nose like this ALL the time. These next two I was really experimenting with upping my ISO extensively and getting a fast shutter speed and living with the noise. He actually scrunches his nose like this when he's excited... even though he kinda looks mad in this picture.

He just looked how models try to look in magazines I just had to take a picture... again ... no flash... just upped ISO. I'm definitely loving this method.

{portland temple and silly faces}

2010-09-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

Right at sunset.. love this golden hour. The miniature people are people I love.

drool....

my girl...

{hiking & napping}

2010-09-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

{always be my joy}

2010-07-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

{cherries}

2010-07-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

are so DELICIOUS!!!! I'm craving them now. But this moment is even more precious to me. Love these people.

{my man}

2010-06-24T13:33:00.001-07:00

If only you knew how much I adore him.

{it's sand in my eyes}

2010-06-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

I've been practicing my action shots.... I think I got some pretty awesome ones.

We had a FABULOUS time at the sand dunes. I love their faces the blue blue sky and the beautiful mountains.

nothin' like a little tennis.

Finally my baby by is 3 months old.

I'll eat you up I love you so.

{ben and paper}

2010-05-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

That's our little nickname for this beautiful couple. Thank you for the wonderful trip to this beautiful little town in the middle of nowhere. We loved our little adventure.

They love to laugh.

Thanks for letting me do my first wedding. You guys rock!

{jar-bear}

2010-05-02T17:59:00.000-07:00

That's what I always used to call him. Now he's gigantic...a gigantic teddy bear with an attitude. Nothing a little mission won't correct. He loves all things music. So these photos are somewhat fitting.

{backlit baby}

2010-05-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

I got excited to try experimenting in full sun. Not a HUGE success, but I got a couple that I will always treasure.

I just KNOW there is a painting almost exactly like this somewhere... anyone know who did it?

{latest faves}

2010-04-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Tried going for a backlit vintage look in this one. Usually I like really clean processing, but I am loving the golden glow in this one.

I also really like that the candle lights up her face.