Thundersnow

This was a very cold, strange day.  Thunder, lightning, snow, rain, sleet – all one after the other.  Just a few shots from my backyard.

 

 

 

Ultramageddon

Here are a few pics I took during my day workshop in San Luis Obispo, CA with the one and only, Jeff Newsom

Jeff showing us his new Tai Chi/Photography moves. Kidding – he was explaining how he gets a couple to be more even-height if the difference is REALLY significant. His pants are rolled up because it literally rained all day and only stopped for our shoot, coincidentally.

Talking to us before we headed down his street to wander and find cool places to shoot the couple.

Favorite of the pics I took over Jeff’s shoulder of the couple. They were awesome – Jeff shot their wedding in ‘06 so they were real and candid and a perfect example of a slightly awkward couple not knowing the perfect way to pose. But they were awesome and so sweet and did basically anything Jeff wanted, including sitting on a towel on muddy ground in his backyard.

This is when he said he shoots into the sun and way underexposes so he can get the sky perfect. He said, “I’d rather shoot sloppy and fix it later than to shoot perfect and miss the moment” I feel the EXACT same way – especially when you are trying your best to capture real moments. Not to say you shouldn’t try your best to set the exposure right, but you shouldn’t waste too much time tinkering with settings and miss your couple laughing

this shot was awesome when he showed us later

The super cool people in our workshop – everyone was so nice and happy to be there – really made the day great.

I learned so much – I don’t really know how to process it but I had this overwhelming sense of peace after I got home. Like it was all going to be great this year. Jeff really embodies working for the right reasons. He loves his clients, loves his job, loves giving and loves his family. It’s like he has somehow escaped the dreaded business side of wedding photography that always got me down (and gets me down.) He takes each day and each job in stride and doesn’t over-plan or over-think and doesn’t dominate the couple’s day. I really hope to grow in my business this year and I hope that along the way, I learn to chill, to hone my craft and become better, to stretch my mind to think outside the box and to make friends instead of business partners. We have the best job in the world – I want to recognize that more this year and work really really hard so I will appreciate it the way I should.

Thanks, Jeff – although I know you will never read this post, I am so grateful that you were so open with us, that you and your incredible wife opened your house to us and let us hold your sweet baby and just be a part of your world for one day.

it loves me, it loves me not…

My website can be a real tease sometimes.  We’ve been trying to make the switch from old to new this week and we’ve had our share of random glitches that have resulted in my website not even existing for almost 24 hours.  I hope I didn’t lose too much business but I know whatever happens is meant to be.

If you are a client of mine and you’ve been looking for your event, please extend your patience toward my website for just a couple more days.  We have to wait for the host to secure somethingorother (ask my husband, I just take pictures) before I can safely upload events.  I HAD uploaded about 7 events when the site went all “evanesco” on me.  (that’s a vanishing spell from Harry Potter…if I didn’t lose clients before, I just did with that little tidbit)

But here are some images of what my pretty little site will be when it’s all up and running. 

my business card front and back

 

how the front page will look (minus a few tweaks)

 

 
I LOVE my events scrolling section!

When it’s all up and secure, I will have a party where we can all practice our Harry Potter charms on each other and drink butter beer. 

Heather and Blake

They married in Cabo during the holidays and had an awesome party at the beginning of January.   There are some definite benefits to doing a wedding this way – absolutely no nerves at your reception!  Just fun, “yay, we’re already married” feelings in the air and basically just a really great celebration.  Here are a few favorites from that day – more can be found on my Facebook fan page:

 

 

 

Ami’s Bridals – Texas Wedding Photographer

Ami was the bridal shoot that had me saying, “HOLY CRAP” this week.  She is stunning, graceful and the best part – TOTALLY low-key and relaxed and has such a warm sense of humor.  I really am looking forward to doing Ami and Michael’s wedding at the end of January.  Here are a few favorites from my pretty winter bride:

 

 

 

 

Ami said her shoes were her favorite part of the wedding so far.  Love a bride with priorities!

 

 

 
are you kidding me?