Capturing Your: Reflections

   Meet Courtney, Class of 2011!  When Courtney stepped out of the car, I was shocked on how tall and stunning she was. Then she smiled and I immediately noticed her perfect teeth. Her outward beauty isn’t the only thing that stood out during our session, but also her inward beauty.  Courtney has this sweet giggle and I got to hear it a lot…mostly because she was laughing at my crazy requests and probably because she thought I was a dork. Regardless, I was able to capture these beautiful pictures of Courtney that will be a part of her High School Senior experience. I love taking pictures of seniors and Courtney was no exception. All the best to you Courtney as you finish your Senior year and pursue your dreams!

  The sun was so yummy that evening and so complimentary to the beautiful fall colors.

Sneak Peek From This Weekend

Road Trip

This weekend I took a little road trip down south for some mini photo shoots. I had a great time meeting some new families and visiting our old neighbor who graciously invited me to stay in their home. On the way to and from, I had a lot of time to think about nothing and everything since radio stations were intermittent and also because there was really nothing to look at. I found it funny that in the middle of Nowhereville, there was “traffic” and construction going on….annnnnd that there city car was a VW Bug. How awesome is that? 

I’m In Love….

…..with Mark. First name Canon, last name Mark…and he’s a II. My new camera arrived yesterday and I am in HEAVEN! After I took my first picture, I nearly gasped. Everything was different. The creaminess, the crispness, the high ISO capabilities and the coloring! The SOOC look was virtually flawless and for that, I am so grateful for. This is the step in the right direction for me and I am super excited to start snapping away. Here’s the first of MANY to come!

Capturing Your: Heart

  I was blessed with two boys…Travis and Derek. Boys that love to run around…all day, who love to wrestle with each other, who think burps and farts are something to announce and be proud of, who instantly gravitate towards dirt whenever it is in sight, who think it’s funny to pick their nose…and eat it too. Boys. Two of them. My dream of ever having a girl is over and for me, photographing a little girl is my dream fulfilled. I get the tutu, the butterfly wings, the cute little ruffled dresses, the bows, the flowers…everything!

This past photo session, I was given that opportunity and absolutely loved it. Mckenzie, almost two, was all personality and such a joy to photograph. It was beautiful to see the strong bond that she shares with her daddy…. defining daddy’s little girl. Mckenzie is full of energy, very bright and very animated. Hands down, she gives the BEST animal impersonations ever…my favorite being the coyote! Recently, this sweet family added baby Colton to their family. Colton was super smiley, very easy going and so alert. He was such a trooper during the whole photo shoot! I love meeting new families, hearing about how they first met, their interests, and their lives. So thank you and  Melissa and Keith, for letting me be a part of your weekend and inviting me to capture your beautiful family. Congratulations!

A Little Change…

  

When I first started toying with the idea about doing photography as a business, I was so naive about what being a photographer really involved. I thought it was just about taking pictures, making them all purdy, then giving them to my clients to hang on their walls. Wrong. There is so much more involved than that….we are marketers, blog stalkers, writers, creators, accountants, shoppers, Facebooker, HTML writers (or aspiring), researchers….everything you didn’t think photography was. I am definitely not at a point where I can outsource in the areas that I need help with but I am definitely at a point where I am able to recognize my limitations. Last night, I thought I would research how to change my blog background, only to discover I completely erased all my settings and was stuck with some generic Joe Shmoe template provided by Blogger…I just about died. Since dying wasn’t an option, I temporarily denied access so that no one could see the mess that I made. Phew. But this is an example of my limitations with one of the many aspects of photography. I have managed to create a few things here on my wee little blog to personalize it, but again, I am limited because of knowledge. I have BIG ideas and little expertise. So, yes, I have decided to outsource some of the changes I know that I simply cannot and will not be able to do on my own…like create a new logo…and banner. I am working with Michele Kuns, who is graphic  and web designer, to help create a logo that will represent my business. I am excited to have my vision of what I would like my photography to exude and will be slowly making those changes during the upcoming weeks. I am aiming to create a brand that really represents me, my passions, my strengths, all in one.

So, after all this, why is Jessica the featured photos for this post? Well, that’s because she is going to be a part of my team! I met Jessica through FB when I first added my Your Life, My Lens Facebook Like Page. She clicked on the “Like” button so I check out her profile (yes, I do this to all of you peeps…hehe!). Instantly, I could tell that she had an eye for photography and going beyond your basic snap shot pictures. I sent her a message and from there on, we because fast friends. Jessica LOVES photography and desires to become a photographer after she graduates from High School. Since she still has two years before she throws her cap up in the air, I offered her the opportunity to work alongside of me so that she can get a strong “feel” for what photography is and is not. Now, I am not claiming that I know everything about photography, I am sooooooo far from that, but I am willing to share, teach and guide Jessica based on the knowledge I do have and also have her experience some of the changes and process of those changes during our partnership. I have discovered that the more I learn, the more I learn I still have A LOT to learn. I have worked incredibly hard this past year, losing more sleep with photography than the sleep loss with having  newborns…combined. I know the long road that lies ahead, so I am all about paying it forward and extending this opportunity and learning experience to Jessica. We totally click, even though I am an old fart…she totally get’s my lame humor, my mommy brain and is cool with being picked up in a minivan in front of her high school…so she is definitely a keeper. Jessica, I am so excited that you trust me to teach you about photography because really, I have no idea what I am doing. I  hope at the end of this you will discover your passion, learn from my mistakes and yours, discover your style, continue to improve and decide if photography is still what you want to pursue after you graduate. And if it isn’t what you want to pursue, you will be billed $478, 325.05….ok, maybe not that much, but I am willing to work out a payment plan for you. No, but seriously, regardless of what you choose, I hope the lessons you learned will last you a lifetime and guide you through your journey of discovery. So Cheers, my right hang gal!

Capturing Your: Inspiration

Sweet Dreams Derek

Our bedtime routine includes reading a book, praying and singing a song. Derek is absolutely a book worm and has been since an early age. He loves reading the stories and just tonight, I realized that he has memorized a good chunk of Goodnight Moon. Doesn’t take much for this little parrot to learn…everyday I am more and more amazed on how bright Derek is. So, last night, we did our usual routine, I read him a book, we prayed together (I LOVE hearing his little voice as he repeats the words back to me during our prayer) and I sang to him “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. As I began singing, Derek quickly joined in and we sang the whole song…together. It was definitely one of the most precious moments that I have had with him at this age and this truly made my heart melt. I immediately said, “Oh my gosh Derek, that was so awesome! You sang the whole song with me…mommy is so proud of you! You sang it so beautifully, you are just soooo precious!” To which Derek replied, “I’m not precious, I’m Derek!” 

So tonight, we did the same routine, read a book, prayed, and sang a song. I intentionally sang Twinkle Twinkle again because I wanted to see if I would get the same reaction. So after we sang together, I cheered him on again and before I could say how precious he was, he interrupted me to tell me what I told him last night. He paraphrased exactly what I said to him last night, “Derek is so precious, yes I am. I made you proud. My voice is so beautiful. I’m such a precious singer.” Um, hullo, you’re just two and you just said that whole mouthful to me! My parrot has once again stolen the words right out of my mouth. It’s moments like these that make me feel so lucky to have such beautiful boys, my heart skip a beat and one proud momma! Sweet Dreams my beautiful boys.