New Years ~ Gainesville Photographer

For me, New Year's Resolutions are more like New Year's wishes... oh, they last for a week or two. But then they slowly slip away. I've done all the right things -- I make them specific. Measurable. Attainable. On a timeline. But yet, a few weeks into the year, they've all slipped away. So this year, I've decided to do something a little different. Instead of making resolutions, I've made a list of all the things I'm looking forward to this year. So, in no particular order:

1. Learning more about photography. Not gonna lie, this is probably the biggest thing I'm looking forward to. I'm admittedly a geek (those of you who know me, definitely know this!). I'm already planning my education options for the coming year. The Courtney Fries workshop I attended this past year was so incredibly helpful that I can't imagine not attending something educational this coming year.

2. New equipment! I'm saving up for a new lens. And. I'm. So. Excited. For. It!  It's true that equipment isn't everything. But honestly, I've gotten to a point in my photography where some of my equipment is holding back my art. So yes... new equipment is on the list. And hopefully soon!

3. Shooting more weddings. Weddings are both fun and challenging; I can't wait to shoot more in the upcoming year!

4. Meeting new clients. I love my current clients. But meeting new clients is such a blessing - I love when clients trust me to capture their memories and life moments! (So quit hiding -- I want to meet you!)

5. New styled shoots. Styled shoots are awesome. I love designing shoots and really hope to do more of this (and if you're looking for something special in the new year, let me know! These are so much fun for me and for my clients; it's a great way for couples to (re)connect, for families to come a little closer together, or for that special person to feel a little more special).

6. For the Love. I can't wait to see what this group of lovely ladies decides to do in the next year! (And gentlemen, too!)


7. Visiting (and shooting in!) new places! I can't wait to see what the new year brings as far as places to shoot and visit! This past year I was blessed and able to shoot a wedding (my first as primary photographer!) in Spain. I'm not sure how I'm going to top that, but the opportunities to shoot in new places local and more distant are there -- and I can't wait to see where they take me (pun intended....).


8. Learning more about business. Yeah. So maybe this isn't my favorite thing on the list. But it's a necessary part of my list if my business is going to continue to grow. So I'm looking forward to the benefits of learning more about the basics of running a business.

9. Shooting for the moon.

Your personal paparazzi ~ Gainesville Portrait Photographer

It's after Christmas. The holiday hustle and bustle has subsided. Spring hasn't quite arrived yet. It's that lull of a time between seasons and it's the perfect time to spare a little bit of attention for yourself.

Something came to me the other day, as I was writing the blog post about my mom and her photos. She asked me to take some photos, not because she particularly wanted any of herself, but because she wanted some to give to my dad. Because our husbands, our family, our friends, they love us how we are. So even though so often we think "I'd like to lose 5 pounds" or "I need my hair cut" or any of those thousand other excuses we give; the people that love us don't see that. They see us.

I thought about this again after our For the Love get together (You can see my shots here, here, and here. Photos from Wendy are here!). Jared (my husband) saw the photos Wendy took of me and loved them. Now, I wasn't particularly thrilled with the way I looked that day, but we did all have fun and Wendy is a wonderful photographer who took some great photos of me. As I was on the other side of the lens, I felt a little awkward at first, but then started to have a little bit of fun. It was fun to dress up a little bit, put on a little make up and pretend for awhile that I was the prettiest thing out there. That these were my paparazzi. Because I deserved them.

And I think that's a feeling that everyone deserves. So this spring, take some time for yourself. Or buy a gift certificate for that woman in your life that needs to take time for herself. To feel beautiful. Do it for your husband. Your boyfriend. More importantly, do it for yourself.

Let's set something up that makes you feel beautiful. Forget about that five pounds, that imperfect hair. And let me make you the center of someone's attention for awhile. Let me be your paparazzi. Because you deserve it.

For Mom ~ Bellefonte Portrait Photographer

In mid October, Mom asked a favor. She wanted some portraits for a Christmas gift for Dad. Of course I said yes, but what was going through my head was "This is either going to be the easiest or the hardest shoot EVER." Why hard? Because normally, I talk with my clients and get to know them, then spend an hour or so with them during the photo shoot. I get to know a small portion of their personality, highlight a few sides of their "self."  But this is my MOM. She whom carried me in her womb, raised me, encouraged, pushed, scolded, and loved me for all of my 29 years. She's nothing short of amazing; she takes care of everyone (and I mean EVERYONE). She's the most selfless person I know. So yes, when my mom asked me to do a photo shoot with her, I was slightly terrified. How do I portray this amazing person? One of my best friends? A phenomenal mother, a wonderful grandmother?  Of course, we talked about the normal photo shoot necessities -- location, outfit, times, etc. And then she snuck out of the house on a Saturday morning while I was in town, we had coffee with Grandma (another amazing woman!) at the Cafe on the Park, and then headed over to Talleyrand Park for her photos.

And I shouldn't have worried. My mama is so beautiful, a fool could take good photos of her. So here are a few of my favorites, now that it is after Christmas, Dad knows about the photos, and appropriately, on her birthday. Happy Birthday to the best mom in the world, and one of my best friends.

Merry Christmas!

There's nothing quite the same as a busy, crowded house, full of good smells and Christmas sights this time of year.  Coming home to Pennsylvania for Christmas is always a mix of crazy schedules, cold weather and running from house to house trying to squeeze in a visit to everyone. But there are always some of the same traditions; the things that ground me this time of year. There's always a fire in the fire place at Mom and Dad's house. Gram always has a big group of us together for Christmas eve, and family pictures are a requirement before any gift opening is allowed to happen! Grandma always comes to Mom and Dad's house on Christmas morning. There are always lots of goodies to eat at my in-laws.  Every Christmas, amongst the hustle and bustle, I have to take a few minutes out and remind myself to appreciate that somethings never change and to accept the things that do change each year. I love my large (and continually growing!) family, love that they're close enough that we can see everyone each Christmas.

A few things that never change: Mom always has angel ornaments on her tree,

and a bird or two for good luck. :)

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

Merry Christmas!

Eddie & Juliana ~ Gainesville Wedding Photographer

Last weekend was my first time as a second photographer with my wonderful friend Wendy. I don't know if you remember, but Sunday started off cold and rainy... not a good start for any wedding day!  Thankfully the rain moved out and it turned into a pretty, if chilly, day!  Juliana and Eddie opted for a first look on the University of Florida campus, which has so many great places to take photos. First looks are so much fun -- the anticipation of seeing each other for the first time and the chance to exchange those little bits of love before the chaos and excitement of the ceremony and reception begin make for a wonderful opportunity for beautiful photos. Just look how radiant Juliana is:

We snuck into the University Auditorium on campus for some more portraits...

It has beautiful light!!

Juliana had an Ah-Mazing dress...

And check out her beautiful shoes!!

<3

Dad capturing a shot of the guys.

I'll leave you with one of my favorites... Seriously, these two were so adorable the entire time -- I think I could have spent another two days taking photos of them! 

Congratulations Eddie & Juliana!

Lara ~ Gainesville Bridal Portraits

I'm (very slowly) getting caught up with all of my shoots. Life always gets busy during the holidays; you'd think by now I would be better about planning things out so that I'm not so rushed!

Anyways... Remember that crazy awesome location I told you about a few weeks ago? Last weekend, I finally got to use it! I met Lara for some fun bridal portraits... we had trains, tracks, cabooses, an awesome suitcase (Thanks Wendy!) and lots of fun. Lara's in vet school here at UF and I met her over the summer at a bachelorette party for a mutual friend (Sara). There's not much better way to get to know someone than to sit on the beach, share an umbrella and drink a few beers! Lara got married this summer to her wonderful husband Jake, and they've got two great dogs, Oliver and Sammy, all three of whom I got to meet on Saturday as well!   Lara -- I hope you had as much fun as I did on Saturday. You were awesome to work with, and I can't wait to hear about where you match this spring!

All about me...

It's hard for photographers to get in front of the camera. We spend so much time taking photos of everyone else, and so little time appreciating that the service we say that you all need (and you do!) is also one that we need. Because everyone needs to document their life -- where you are now, who you are now. It all changes so fast, that soon the moment that you thought you'd be living forever is gone. 

So when Leah, over at Go{4}Pro Photos posted this contest on her blog, it spurred me to not only think about my About Me page, but also about my favorite photos of myself. Luckily, we'd also recently done some headshots at our For the Love get together and I think we would all say that we put together some lovely images of each other.  So without further ado, this is the official unveiling of my new About Me page. Check it out, and let me know what you think!

(Click on the photo to go to the page!)

The Wright Family ~ Gainesville Family Photographer

Last Sunday I had the fun of meeting up with the Wright family in downtown Alachua for their Holiday Session.  We originally planned for Saturday morning, but baby Kayden wasn't feeling well and it was sooo cold on Saturday morning! We rescheduled for Sunday afternoon for warmer weather and a little extra sleep for the munchkin and it definitely paid off.  Little Miss Morgan was a bit shy, but loved the snow flake props and then had fun playing with the tree in the old Theatre Garden.  And how can you not love an adorable little girl in her Christmas dress and matching bow?  

Anatomy of a Styled Photoshoot, Part II

A little more about styling a photo shoot....

Step Four: The props. Props are important. They can be as little as jewelry, as big as buildings. They can be cars, bike tires rims, or just about anything else that helps tell the story. Because the location had such great color and architectural components, I didn't use many extra props other than jewelry and hair pieces, which we switched out several times. I try to match the feel of the location with the props, so when I was browsing through some stores before the shoot, I picked up red and teal flower hair pins, found two awesome "hats", and kept my eye out for jewelry that might work. Wendy has a amazing selection of props, which she kindly brought with her, and we also dug through Ella's jewelry before we left and she brought out some of her wicked shoe collection. For photos, it's generally better to over accessorize -- you might feel a bit out of place but it always looks better in photos to be a little heavy on the accessories rather than light. It gives the photo more depth, more feel.

A few examples of how hair pieces can drastically add to the feel of a photo.

Props don't have to be jewelry...

And finally, The shoot. Really, Ella was just amazing. She was a little nervous to start out, but really relaxed and gave it her all and did beautifully. For those of you who don't know, Ella is my riding instructor. One of the things she has told me over and over, when I'm trying to master something difficult is "You have to want it in your soul." So I turned that back on her for the shoot, telling her that she was going to rock it, but she had to forget that she was Ella, and want it in her soul. And she did!

One of the tips I picked up from the ever brilliant Jasmine Star is to never start with your best location. So we started with a good spot, but not my favorite, until Ella got a bit more comfortable with the modeling and had spent some time with Wendy, too. I tend to pose fairly simply -- I show my model/client what I'm after, then let them adapt it to their style and comfort, making small changes if needed. Because I was going after an edgier, editorial look, some of the poses were not as natural as they would be if I was posing someone for "prettier", softer portraits. But Ella still rocked them, making them hers and adjusting to everything.

All in all, everything exceeded my expectations for this shoot. I had a great time with great friends and came away with some amazing photos. A huge thanks to Ella, Jared, and Wendy! <3 you all!

Anatomy of a Styled Photoshoot, Part I

After all of the wonderful comments I received on Ella's bridal portraits, I thought it might be fun to write up how that shoot came into being.  Because amazing photo shoots don't just happen -- they're made. :)

Step 1: The idea.  I was getting itchy to do something creative, but I wasn't really sure what. When I get in those moods, I look for inspiration in a bunch of different places -- online photography forums and blogs to be sure, but also at the ads and photo shoots in magazines (Vogue, Elle, Glamour). I cut out (or print out) photos that I like parts of -- the hair in this one, make up in that one, dress in another, this pose, that background. And then putting those together, I come up with an idea board for the shoot. This is both a "virtual" (i.e. on my computer) and physical (i.e. photos I cut out, fabrics I like, etc) idea board. I incorporate in colors, textures, anything really that catches my eye like it will fit somewhere. In no way do I a) USE all of these things, or b) copy any one of them directly. They serve as points to jump start my creativity in a (somewhat) organized manner. (Side note here: I am not the only one who comes up with ideas! If you've got something nagging at you that you think would be cool -- even if it sounds silly, that's where most of mine start! -- let me know and we'll see what two creative brains can put together. Nothing is impossible -- we're only limited by the limitations we put on ourselves!) Here are some of the images I was working from:

Step 2: The place. This is sometimes the hardest part of styling a photo shoot. Finding an interesting location that has multiple places to take photos, is accessible, is safe (more about this later), and is reasonably convenient can be difficult. For this shoot, I knew I wanted an urban location. Originally what I really wanted was an old abandoned warehouse that we could shoot inside. I was imagining rusty colors, light filtering in through broken windows, large open areas. I was aiming for photos with a gritty texture, a raw feel. After driving around downtown with Jared for about an hour, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to find what I was looking for in a safe area. Safety is important! You attract a lot of attention walking around with expensive camera equipment and a hot girl in a wedding dress! So I ended up choosing another location, outdoors but still urban with great color and architectural components. It was all withing walking distance of a safe parking lot. If I'm ever uneasy about where I'm shooting, I first run it by my client, then I take my body guard with me (Jared makes a great body guard!). In the process of trying to find a location for this shoot, I stumbled across an amazing location for another shoot (but more on that in the future!) - you never know what you're going to find out there.


Step 3: The people. So the next thing for me, since I was designing this shoot for myself, not for a client, was to find the right people. I had put out a call on my blog and facebook site asking if any local brides might be interested. I got a few responses, but because this is a shoot for me, I was being fairly picky about exactly what I wanted. The great part about the response I got to the call was that I found out who my willing people are, so even if they didn't work out for this shoot I now have a list of guinea pigs models for the next one! I happened to know that my wonderful friend Ella had just gotten married, had a stunning gown, and is quite amazing herself. So I talked to Ella, and with the promise that she didn't have to smile too much, she said yes.... Now because we had planned to do this Thanksgiving weekend (long story short, scheduling these things with more than one or two people is tough), I didn't have a professional available to do hair and make up. But someone was smiling down on us, because I managed to get all of her hair up and looking decent, and between the two of us, her make up looked great! I also invited my friend Wendy along to shoot -- as a photographer, I love shooting with other photographers because it's inspiring and educational... but that's another post!

Okay, this is getting a lot longer than I had planned, so I'll break it off here... Hopefully there aren't too many of you snoring by now! :) Check back later for Part II: The props, the shoot, the fun!

Ella ~ Gainesville Bridal Portrait Photographer

I don't even know what to say about this shoot. Except that it exceeded ALL of my expectations. All of them. I set this shoot up for fun, hopefully to get some portfolio shots, to get some practice working with posing, and to style a shoot from start to finish. Ella, a really good friend of mine and my fabulous horseback riding instructor (those arms? She's earned them!), agreed to model for me. Between the two of us, we got her makeup done and all of her hair up (She has a. LOT. of. hair. Seriously. It goes the whole way down her back.). She provided the awesome shoe assortment (this girl's got some kicks!).  And then we took Jared for a body guard and headed to an urban area in downtown Gainesville for some photos! Wendy joined us downtown and we all had a great time. I'm thrilled with how the photos turned out! <3 Ella, Wendy, and Jared for making the day so fabulous!

This is probably way too may photos for one blog post, but I really couldn't choose.... Enjoy!

RAWR!

Playing with a little bit of sun flare. I'm not great at this yet, so bear with me!

Red shoes!!!

Love the old bike rim Wendy found and strategically placed.

Ella rockin' a wicked hair piece I picked up at a local thrift store.

Love this blue door. LOVE it.

Playing around with the colors.

Again, the shoes!

Wendy shooting. :)

Happy first day of December!

Home Inspiration

I have never been one of those people who has one of those homes. You know, the one you walk into and feel like it's perfectly decorated. Like everything was hand picked to fit perfectly into each room. The ones where the colors are all complementary (or purposely chosen to stand out). My excuse now is that we're in a rental -- can't change the floors, can't paint the walls, and why do I want to buy things that will match this house when I know I'll be moving in the next year or two anyways? But really, that's just an excuse. Even when we owned a house, I wasn't one of those people. Don't get me wrong -- most of the things in my house matched, and went with a general theme if you will, but it wasn't well decorated.

So why am I talking about this? Well, for Thanksgiving, Jared and I visited a friend's house (well, a friend's mother's house) and w.o.w. It was Amazing (that's right -- with a capital "A"). Mrs. C has the quintessential Southern house. It was beautiful! But the thing that impressed me most was that while it was well decorated and extremely well thought out, it was also very livable. It was not a museum -- people lived here (and it didn't hurt that it smelled like a wonderful Thanksgiving meal being cooked....). I could go on and list the things I loved about the house, but that's not really the point of this post. It reminded me of what I want someday, when once again I have my own house. A pretty house, a put-together house, but a livable house. A place where my eventual children can play, a place where my friends always feel welcome, a place where I am always at ease. My place. My home. So I dream. And I keep photos of the things I like. and the things I love. Here's a peak at my dream, in no real particular order:

Someday, I will have floor to ceiling bookshelves...

Maybe ones that look like this, though.

Love this wine rack/cabinet for the kitchen... plus the bonus counter space!

This simple bed from Ikea would look awesome with a darker or splashy bedspread...

And I love this!! How can you resist wanting to look in each of those drawers for treasure???

Steph ~ Gainesville Portrait Photographer

Finally, Steph's photos from our For the Love meetup! I loved Steph's classic look (what girl doesn't love a good black outfit?) and check out those boots!

Steph in a pod!

Deb ~ Gainesville Portrait Photographer

Some photos of the lovely Deb from our For the Love get together!

Love using stairs!

A little architecture? I think so!

So fun!

So what you don't know is that Deb is leaning on an
air conditioner -- you never know where you're going
to find a good background!

Deb in a pod!