I’m really excited to show you guys these pictures. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there is a lot of change for the business this year. I have a list of several things I want to fine-tune, and so I came into Katelyn’s shoot intending to apply my new mindset. This was actually a difficult task. Katelyn is 5 (turning 6 very soon!) and after focusing on adults for so long, the age added an interesting dynamic. This tough five year old, sat in the car for more than hour just to get to the beach…and when we got there it was cold. 13 mph winds cold. Pacific ocean cold. Barefoot in a skirt cold. I know the last thing she wanted to do was take pictures but considering everything, she did extremely well. She expected seashells and got rocks instead. She also found herself constantly sprinting away from the rising tide. Thank you Katelyn for being patient with me and for being such a beautiful model!

Katelyn’s father is in the military and and is deployed a whole lot, so I wanted to tie in an American theme into the pictures. The overall theme was subtle, but enough so that it didn’t take away from her. Part of my new vision for this business is to have more of a hand in every shoot. I helped piece together her outfit, picked the location and talked with her mom about props.

My hard drive is filled with pictures…pictures of other people. Lately, I’ve really been slacking on photographing my own family. I think it’s because my son Kaiden is just sooooo quick! The minute we put him down, he takes off running and won’t stop. When we were in Florida, he ran straight to the ocean…and kept going! This kid is fearless and so I don’t bother chasing him with a camera because I’m more concerned about his safety. For this reason, we decided to take some pictures today. Although you can’t see his face in most, this challenged me to be quick on my feet, always moving and never missing a moment. I figure, if I can photograph my son, I can photograph anyone.

Here’s a quick preview from yesterday. More to come soon!

The other day I had my wisdom teeth pulled. It’s something I had been putting off for a while. I, no kidding, let the x-rays + referral slip sit on my desk for months before I did anything about them. During my recovery time, I had a lot of time to think. pray. read. I had several “ah-ha” moments…which really tempts me to throw out a corny joke about gaining wisdom…and wisdom teeth…har.har.har. Anyways, I had time to really evaluate the past year. What are things that I loved about my business last year? What are things I didn’t like? What approaches worked? What approaches didn’t? What can I change? How can I better serve my clients? If I were in their shoes, what would make me feel appreciated? What kind of work would I expect to see? All these things and more made me realize how much the business aspect takes a role in photographing other people and how much of it I have unknowingly overlooked. I began to search for the weak spots in the way I handle things and let me tell you, it has been a humbling process. I want to go beyond a perfectly exposed photo.

This year we are in a transition period. By December, we will be living someplace completely different. (My husband is in the AF and we don’t know where we will be re-stationed until June). This means that the business as a whole is in sort of a limbo. I’ve decided that I’m going to spend these next few months re-vamping everything. If there’s one thing I’ve been learning, it’s discovering the artistry within all of this. I don’t mean for that to sound corny but it’s been sort of a revelation for me. Instead of me focusing on the numbers, I need to remember why I started this job in the first place. I feel like I’ve lost sight of my original intention – to capture some of life’s most beautiful moments (in all stages) and to do it beautifully and with honesty…leaving the viewer with a connection that truly makes an impact (hello, run on sentence!) I’m proud of the work I’ve created this past year but I’ve spent too much time in self-condemnation, comparing my work to others or caring about what others think. If I don’t believe in my work, than who will? Photography IS an artform and I AM an artist.

All of this to say, expect changes. Some gradual, some not. I want to have all my ducks in a row before I present the new vision for our business (which will more than likely take several months) but I’m asking you viewers and potential new clients for patience in this process. I’m really going to start sifting through my images, trying to figure out which reflect the vision and which don’t. I’m going to slow down my shooting process and stop being so trigger happy with my shots. I’m going to start incorporating film…an incredibly honest medium. I’m going to be working with a graphic designer to help solidify the vision with a new logo and branding. I’m going to step outside of the business and start shooting more personal work to help me gain perspective. Most importantly, I’m going to daily surrender this to the Lord, because he gave me this deep desire, and I know He has it all under control.

“‎Photography carries a power that holds up under the relentless swirl of today’s saturated media world because photographs emulate the way that our minds freeze a single, significant moment…when all elements come together to define not just the event but our emotional connection to it. And this is what a photograph taps into when it makes its own powerful connection to a viewer.”

Katie was overdue by 11 days. I can only imagine the frustration and anticipation both her and her husband felt as they waited those long days wondering when they would meet their sweet, little Noah. Although late, he arrived safely on January 17th weighing in at 8 lbs and 11 ounces.  I’m honored to have captured some of Noah’s first days and post it so that their families who are so far away can see. As I mentioned on our facebook page when I posted the preview, a lot of them came out to meet Noah, but because he was overdue they ended up just missing him. I know these images don’t do his cute face justice, but hopefully it will hold you all over until you can meet him face to face.

Katie and Jamie, I can’t tell you enough how happy I am for the both of you. It was incredible to meet the little life God blessed you with and I’m so excited for you to experience the love and joy that comes with being a parent. If you ever need a babysitter, you know who to call!

In-hospital sessions are something new I am doing. Since I only live about 5 minutes from the hospital, I figured it would be a great opportunity for others to have pictures taken just like this. When I had my son over a year ago, the last thing I wanted to do was take pictures. My dear friend Kira came in and documented my son’s first days and let me tell you, these are pictures I will hold onto forever. If you are interested in a session, please contact me 4-6 weeks before your expected due date to set it up.

PS. And for those of you who missed it, check out her maternity session here!

Do you guys remember Joe and Dani? I photographed their wedding two summers ago in Pennsylvania. When Dani found out I was going to be in the Clearwater area for Christmas, she immediately contacted me for a session. Because of how time-constrained their wedding was, we didn’t really get a chance to do too many portraits of just them, so this was an opportune time to get some done. I actually went to college with Dani (who also went to college with Jamie, another session I recently did) and so it was pretty crazy to be with her and drive around the areas where we went to school. We spent the morning in Tampa, Florida, photographing with one of their friend’s beauitful horses. I’ve actually never done a session so close to noon, but the light turned out to be quite gorgeous.  I really enjoyed seeing the happy couple once again and capturing some moments I know they won’t forget!

Enjoy

Here are some of my favorite pictures from 2011. I’m grateful for the many opportunities I’ve had to photograph some wonderful people. They’ve allowed me to take part in a portion of their life and document some of their most important events.

I think the biggest thing I’ve learned as a photographer this past year is the importance of consistency. I started to learn this halfway through the year when I started working with another photographer assisting weddings. He stressed the importance of constantly evaluating your work and figuring out how you can make it better next time. I’ve found that I absolutely love pictures filled with a warmth of light and subtle pops of color. Not all my pictures below fit that description (since they were all taken during different times of the year) but I’m really beginning to shape my work and I’m excited about that! I’ve also been learning that it’s better to have 10 solid, outstanding images than 50 mediocre. I’ve been working on taking more time setting up my shots and trying my best to get the image correct in-camera. Each picture should tell a story from beginning to end, and that will be my goal for this upcoming year.

Thank you to all my wonderful clients. It means the world to me that you would choose me to document your life. Thank you to all my readers. Your patience with my sporadic entries is appreciated. This year has been up and down and unfortunately my blog had to suffer because of it. I’m going to try and blog more consistently but I did end up creating a personal blog so that clients don’t have to sift through my entries about Kaiden I hope you all have a blessed holiday and a wonderful 2012!

For more on what I’ve learned in 2011, please visit my personal blog here.

I went to college (in Florida) with Katie’s husband, Jamie, several years ago. The school was small enough so we crossed paths often and even hung out with the same group a few times. I never expected to see him again after I left but his family just got stationed here at Travis Air Force Base, California! That just goes to show you what a small world we live in Katie is going to be a nurse practitioner and Jamie is a pilot. They are expecting their little boy, Noah, to come any day now. I’ve never done a maternity session before, so I was honored that they asked me to do Katie’s. This was something different and I really enjoyed it. I’m so blessed to have the opportunity to photograph people in all stages of life, capturing the beautiful moments that God has blessed us with.

Katie and Jamie, I can’t wait for you to meet the little one that has been kicking and squirming these past nine months. I’ve only been a parent for a short period, but I’ve loved every moment of it. I can already tell you both are going to be wonderful, dedicated parents. Thanks for letting me share in this moment with you.

Here’s a quick preview of a recent session I did while in Tampa