Rocker 7 Sunflowers

CLICK HERE FOR INFO ABOUT UPCOMING SUNFLOWER AND FALL PHOTO SHOOTS!

Victoria and her husband and their baby-on-the-way at Rocker 7 Farm Patch in Buckeye, Arizona.

I was so happy for the pretty clouds we got for this photo shoot at the sunflowers at Rocker 7 Farm Patch. This was taken around 10 in the morning and those clouds just gave us dreamy light.

I think something about the color red looks amazing in sunflowers. I think it's sort of related to red being a bright/prime color and it matches the intensity of yellow sunflowers and especially looks great when blue skies are bright blue and have a similar intensity. So if you like wearing the color red, definitely consider it for your sunflower photo shoot.

I have read that Rocker 7 planted even more sunflowers than in past years, so I am very curious to see what that looks like. I appreciate that they always plant a fantastic variety - plenty of the traditional bright big yellow sunflowers, but cream and red and orange variations, too.

I have sunflower photo sessions coming up at Rocker 7 in October. I now only do sunflower sessions at Rocker 7 on Thursdays and Fridays. The place is so beloved (understandably so) and gets crowded on weekends, but if we meet up on a Thursday or Friday, we don't have to navigate the crowds. In all of these photos of Victoria and her husband, I had to edit out people in the background. With Thursday and Friday shoots, I shouldn’t have to do that as much.

Here is the info for those sessions coming up: https://book.usesession.com/i/7aUFvsYCJ

I have sessions at both Rocker 7 and a nearby sunflower farm called Sweet Flower Home.

Thanks to Victoria for having me photograph her and her little fam here! Thanks to Rocker 7 Farm Patch for creating such a magical place!

Here is what Rocker 7 is saying about their upcoming sunflower season:

Buckeye’s Original Sunflower Field

It’s our 10th Anniversary on the farm, and we’re ready to help you make new memories! A lot has changed for us over the past ten years. The same fields you have enjoyed for fresh air and making memories are open, but in a simpler way for Pictures, Pumpkins and Play Areas. This year offers more of our signature sunflowers along with historic Arizona cotton and Sudangrass (Sorghum Hybrid) for your enjoyment. Yes, we will still have pumpkins for purchase! Our focus will be on celebrating the family farm, enjoying the outdoors, giving the kiddos a place to roam and explore, and enjoying some tasty treats from local food trucks and local vendors on the weekends along with local entertainers from time to time as well!

What’s included in admission?

• Cotton Field

• Sudan Field

• Sunflower Field

• Pumpkin Patch Entry

• Jumping Pillow

• Tractor Tire Playground

• Pedal Carts 

Pumpkins and concessions are sold separately, including vendors on Saturdays and Sundays. We do have an open food policy for anyone who would like to bring their own picnic to the farm; alcoholic beverages are not allowed.

CLICK HERE FOR INFO ABOUT UPCOMING SUNFLOWER AND FALL PHOTO SHOOTS!

Easter Egg Hunt!

This was one of my first Easter egg hunt photo shoots more than ten years ago! Heidi and Chris and their kids met up with me in Gilbert and we had a blast!

I’m doing them again this year: portrait sessions for kids and their families in their Easter best, and then egg hunts where I get action shots of all the cuteness of your kids running around finding eggs and filling up their baskets!

EASTER EGG HUNT

AND PORTRAITS

2023

FOUR SILOS FARM

AND OLIVE GROVE

is located here:

14822 South Gilbert Road

Gilbert, AZ 85295

I’m so excited to announce Easter egg hunt and portrait sessions at Four Silos Farm and Olive Grove in Gilbert, Arizona this year. I have had such a great time doing them in previous years and can’t wait to do them again!

*****Scroll down below to see all the information about EASTER EGG HUNT AND PORTRAIT SESSIONS 2023.*****

THIS YEAR YOU CAN SPLIT YOUR SESSION WITH ONE OTHER FAMILY. You can split this cost with one other family/household and "share" your session time.  Do you have a friend or sibling who would like to get photos of their family too? Split this session cost and time with them. You arrive at the same time, and I take photos of one family and then the other. You will get individual family pics, but the Easter Egg Hunt photos will most likely have combos of kids in the photos.

PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO START THE PROCESS TO RESERVE AN EASTER EGG HUNT AND PORTRAIT SESSION SPOT. PRICE: $300 + tax - you receive an online gallery of approximately 50 photos. $50 nonrefundable retainer due to book.

Information:

How do I reserve and pay for a spot? Sessions are $300 plus tax. Fill out the form to tell me what time and date you would like. I will communicate with you first via text and email and then give you a call, if you request a call. I will email you an invoice to pay to reserve your spot with a debit or credit card. I will also email you a contract to sign. You will be booked for your session time once you pay your nonrefundable retainer.

How does it work? How many photos do I receive? Show up at the Four Silos Farm and Olive Grove located at 14822 South Gilbert Road, Gilbert, AZ 85295 about ten minutes before your session. You can park on the street EAST GALVESTON STREET. Please make sure not to confuse this address with the Four Silos Brewery Restaurant in Gilbert. It’s not the same place/location! Once you arrive, we will take some family photos, and then the kids get to hunt for eggs with baskets and eggs that I provide. I chase them around and get cute photos of them hunting for eggs. Then I edit the best photos and send them to you in an online gallery. There will be approximately 50 photos in your online gallery. A note about my style: I try to get a few pics of everyone looking at the camera, but mostly I try to capture fun and the relationship between family members, so we play a few quick games and I snap photos, catching everyone’s smiles, looking at each other and playing around.

How long are these photo shoots? Are they mini sessions? I’ve spaced these photo sessions one hour apart, with the idea that I would give each family at least 30 minutes of time. Sometimes I have kids help me hide eggs for the next set of kids that are coming, if parents are OK with that.

What happens if I have to cancel? What if I or one of my family gets sick? What if I can’t drive there that day? I ask that you pay the remaining balance on the day of the photo shoot, in case you have to cancel. The $50 retainer is nonrefundable as it will already have been spent on the permit for the location and baskets and eggs.

What if it rains? Rain can make for beautiful photos and it usually does not rain for that long in Arizona, so if there is the chance of rain, I still go ahead with photo shoots. However, if the forecast calls for very heavy rain, I will be in contact about canceling or rescheduling.

What should we wear? Feel free to wear your fanciest clothes or casual clothes. Spring colors are fun, but it’s perfectly fine to stick to whatever style you love! High heels may be difficult on the grass (though I know some people can manage! I’m not one of them!)

Do you provide the baskets and eggs? Yes, I provide the baskets and eggs. I have had families bring their own baskets that matched their kids’ outfits, so feel free to bring baskets if you like!

What should I know about a photo shoot an Easter egg hunt and portrait session at Four Silos Farm and Olive Grove?

• I’m excited to meet you and take photos for you! I have had so much fun taking these types of photos in the past and have loved how the photos have turned out. I can’t wait to take photos for you!

• After you get to Four Silos Farm and Olive Grove located at 14822 South Gilbert Road, Gilbert, AZ 85295, you park in the neighborhood on Galveston Street. At your appointment time, text me at 490-326-8385 and I will come to you.

• Be prepared for tall grass at the Four Silos Farm and Olive Grove that you will walk through/kids will run around in. Since we are outdoors, be prepared for sun, heat, insects, dirt, just all the stuff of nature and the outdoors!

• Since we will be outside in nature, there is the possibility of encountering plants, insects, and animals. Last year I saw a few bees. Plan accordingly if you have any allergies, etc.

• If you have any questions or concerns about anything, please email me at brenda.eden@gmail.com or text me at 480-326-8385.

Arizona Wildflowers

UPDATE: HERE IS THE INFO ABOUT WILDFLOWER SESSIONS COMING UP!

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO READ ABOUT THE TWO LOCATIONS.

PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM TO SIGN UP FOR A WILDFLOWER PHOTO SESSION:

ZANJERO LOCATION - This is a water retention area in Gilbert, Arizona. It’s one of the only places I can find within the metro area that has wildflowers. It is a gooooood place for photos. Some of the things that are good about it: EASY parking, close to the freeway so it’s easy to get to, has a LOT of variety for backgrounds, there are almost no people there so you don’t have to worry about people being in the backgrounds of your photos. Right now it has a TON of wildflowers!!!! Soooooo many more than last year.

The bad things about this place: some of the plants are thorny/sticky and you can get goat burrs in your shoes, so you should definitely not wear open toed shoes.

VISTA DEL ORO AND THE BEELINE HWY: Here is the pindrop for this location. Don’t be alarmed by dry and unpretty this place looks on Google streetview. Right now it is green and GORGEOUS and there are SO many different kinds of wildflowers!

https://goo.gl/maps/zbEr8sHzCKdA5jJk9

Victoria and her daughter met up with me one early evening last April in 2022 for photos in the wildflowers. I absolutely loved how these turned out, though in the almost year since then I have learned more photo editing techniques and I have bought more editing tools for Photoshop, so I kind of want to go back over these and edit them again. We had this field of flowers all to our selves and it was so cute to watch how Vicki’s daughter picked the purple and yellow wildflowers and gave them to her mom.

With all the rain we have had in the last couple months this past winter, I really am so excited about our prospects for amazing wildflowers and even super blooms in Arizona. I’ve gone out searching and found flowers around South Mountain, Usery, and next up I will be exploring Picacho Peak.

I will be announcing Wildflower photo sessions and mini sessions as soon as I figure out when and where to go! If you would like to hear more about those, please subscribe to my newsletter in the form below the photos! They are perfect for engagement photos, maternity, mommy and me, and family photos.

Salt River Portraits

My sister and I photographed Nancy and Kevin and their daughter at the Salt River before they welcome their brand new baby. Nancy and her family live in our neighborhood, just a 5-10 minute walk away. I’m so glad we are neighbors!

The Salt River has always been one of my favorite places to go for all sorts of recreation - I love going stand up paddle boarding, getting to see the wild Salt River horses, going out there for picnics and just to sit by the water, I love tubing down the Salt River and I’ve been biking out there. My absolute favorite thing to do is to go out there and watch meteor showers. Darker skies = seeing more falling stars!

But something I’d never done, and been wanting to do for quite a while, was do a photo shoot at the Salt River. I’d love to do another one. Something we learned is that it’s pretty busy at the river, week days might be less crowded than a Sunday afternoon. I photoshopped a lot of people out of their images. I’d rather make it so that clients have a more peaceful experience and find a quieter time to go.

We met up at Phon D Sutton and then just before the sun set, we headed to Granite Reef. Phon D Sutton was beautiful, but I’d really like to go back to Granite Reef. I feel like it has a lot of potential.

Are you looking for a Salt River photographer? Let’s chat! Here’s where to find more info and message me!

Big sister to be!

To a little brother!