The ones you’ve been waiting for!!
GORGEOUS!!
I LOVE THOSE SHOTS!!
Tarra mentioned a little waterfall just down the creek – I had NO IDEA we would be walking to HAWAII!!
ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!
PERFECTION!!
Fall weddings are my FAVORITE!!
ONE MORE post – TOMORROW!!
Tarra let me know that their nephew is a special little guy and they wanted LOTS of photos with him!
He almost always turned that smile on when I focused on him!
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!
ADORABLE!
Her dad was RUNNING – making sure the wedding would start ON TIME!
One LAST hug while he’s all hers! Seriously – these mother-of-the-groom moments – I can’t hold it together!
I LOVE her reaction!
ALWAYS make sure your bridal party is a FUN bridal party!!
Tarra emailed me earlier this year hoping I was available for her October wedding at The Creekside Barn!
THANKFULLY I WAS!!
GORGEOUS!!
Getting ready photos – they are my FAVORITE!!
BEAUTIFUL!
Moody black & white portraits of brides – one of my FAVORITE things!
Stay tuned for the next THREE installments of their wedding photos!
I had a session in August with a GORGEOUS family! They asked me to keep the family photos off the interwebs since they wanted to use them for CHRISTMAS!
And when I got done – they were some of my FAVORITE family shots! But – I couldn’t “show them off” – go figure!
I had a session in September with a family and they asked me to NOT post the photos – and … THEY WERE MY FAVORITE!!
But – since you couldn’t see WHO they were – I did post a few!
I REALLY REALLY hope they order a GIANT print of the dancing one!
ALL THIS TO SAY – who am I looking to get praise from?
Obviously my clients – at the end of the day – it doesn’t matter WHO might happen to “like” my photo if the client doesn’t love it.
Shouldn’t that be it? I could argue that in this business I NEED other people to see photos of families & seniors & brides & grooms & babies AND love those photos and therefore ask me to take their photos!
But what if the ONLY people who saw the photos I take were the people IN THOSE PHOTOS.
Would it be enough? Shouldn’t it be enough?
I post the photos I take because I LOVE THEM! I love the people in them. I love the moments I capture. The tiny details.
I believe that the unique eye God gave me is worth something.
Do you know what I love to do most to relax? Edit. (and binge-watch star trek series) but – EDIT. I love taking photos and I LOVE editing photos.
It’s relaxing and life-giving and inspiring and BEAUTIFUL.
Like I said – I believe that God gave me this gift. And I praise Him by using this gift. By giving you long-lasting memories – BEAUTIFUL long-lasting memories.
And really – at the end of the day – it ONLY matters if the person paying me LOVES their photos.
It’s hard being stuck in that place where I need other people to see and love my photography and ask me to photograph them BUT I need the people IN the photos to be happy with what I’ve given them.
When I have a FANTASTIC session and the only people that see them are the ones in them – it’s been hard for me to not show the world.
I get it. I respect that my clients don’t want their faces ALL over the internet.
I’m discovering that your (the general public) praise might be what I’m looking for.
WHAT JESUS SAYS ABOUT ME IS ENOUGH. Should be enough.
A girl at after-school care asked me about shaving her head – because she hates her hair. People pick on her about her hair. And her teeth. And her weight.
I asked her – do those things bother YOU? No. But they bother everyone else.
LISTEN. People are ALWAYS going to tell what they THINK is wrong with you. I wish I could tell you that it will get better as you get older.
You can’t change other people. And while what they’re doing isn’t kind or right or good – you can only change YOU.
And Jesus LOVES you. And He would die for you OVER & OVER again. And He looks at you and calls you worthy. He looks at you and calls you BEAUTIFUL!
REMEMBER THAT!!
SO – if I’m gonna practice what I preach – I need to STOP CARING about what everyone might think about these pictures I take. STOP CARING about how many likes they might be getting.
STOP CARING that people might not see some of my best work. Because – the people who are hanging those photos in their house – LOVED THEM.
START REALLY BELIEVING THAT I AM ENOUGH. Because Jesus tells me that I am.
I met Faith when Faith (a different Faith) submitted her family for BEAUTIFUL a few years ago!
Turns out – we are distantly related! Our great-grandfather’s were cousins – or something like that!
I was so happy when Kim contacted me about Faith’s senior pictures!
Faith was a trooper – the mosquitoes were AWFUL!!
I am LOVING shooting RIGHT AT SUNSET lately!
I LOVE THOSE SHOTS!
FAITH! Thank you SO much for believing in my vision! Laying on the rocks in a parking lot – laying in a mosquito-ridden field!
I had a GREAT night hanging out with you! Whatever you do – MAKE SURE YOU LOVE IT!
I’ve been taking photos of Joy since she was a tween! TWEEN! I took her wedding photos and then the newborn photos of their baby girl – and then last year when she was ONE!
She messaged me in August and said she wanted to gift a newborn session to her friend – BEST GIFT EVER!!
I met with Kasey on a rainy Sunday afternoon – but the rain held off JUST enough for us!
THESE MOMENTS are my favorite!!
ELLA WHO?
I LOVE THAT SHOT!!
The weather managed to calm down just enough to get a few shots outside!
SO SWEET!!
Newborns are ALWAYS happiest in the arms of momma!!
Kasey – I hope you LOVE your photos! Joy – THANK YOU!! I hope to see you BOTH again soon!!
I’ve been taking Autumn’s photos for the past 6 or 7 years! Their engagement – wedding – babies – family – birthday parties – ALL THE THINGS!!
This year – we met at their newly acquired property – which is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!
LOOK AT THAT FACE!!
OH MY HEART!!
BASEBALL BROTHERS!!
And soon – a little sister will make her debut!!
You know what my FAVORITE thing about that picture is? Autumn’s fingertips barely brushing her little boy’s head. THAT MOMENT.
That little glance. THAT MOMENT!
Reaching for his momma’s hand. THAT MOMENT!!
That little baby girl at the edge of the frame! AN HOUR IN THE LIFE OF YOU!!
ISN’T HE DARLING!!
This little guy – he’s gonna be a baseball player when he grows up!
I MEAN – SERIOUSLY! LOOK AT HIM!!
Autumn & Ryan – thank you SO MUCH for asking me into your lives year after year!! I can’t WAIT to see you as a family of FIVE!!
I’m not sure how I met Rachel – but we’ve been friends on FACEBOOK for a while!
Amanda submitted Rachel’s family for BEAUTIFUL – and she won!!
Rachel & Rich are on my WANTING list – a list of people who are trying & hoping & wishing & praying for a baby!
Their daughter – a NICU miracle – just turned TWO!
I had messaged with Rachel and mentioned that we COULD schedule in Sayre since my parents live that way – but then we decided on Mansfield. I didn’t check in with her before our session – which I normally do. I texted her that I was at wal*mart – where we decided to meet – by the GIANT yellow tractor-trailer. She couldn’t seem to find it. Was she at the right spot? Sayre wal*mart right?! NOPE! Mansfield wal*mart – AHHHH! This was SIX O CLOCK – sunset was very shortly after 7 – so we met in Troy – HOPING the light would last!!
WE MADE IT!! But this little peanut wasn’t REALLY in the mood for photos!
It’s a good thing that lifestyle photography is my specialty!
I LOVE THOSE SHOTS!!
Rachel & Rich – thank you SO MUCH! I LOVE meeting the little babies that so many of us have prayed for!
I hope you LOVE your photos!!
MY FAVORITE SHOT OF THE NIGHT!! Doesn’t she look SO fierce!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE those shots!!
I LOVE those shots too!! I think Anna looks SO MUCH like her mom – ESPECIALLY in those shots!
AHHH!! AND THOSE!!
GORGEOUS!!
It’s AWESOME that we live in a place where you can have a country setting AND a somewhat urban setting!
We prayed for a beautiful sunset – and we got one!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!
That last light of the night – MY NEW FAVORITE THING!!
ANNA – I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! Thank you for asking me to capture you and your gorgeous self!!
Whatever you do – make sure you LOVE it!
Anna is such an AWESOME girl! She goes to school with the boys – we go to church with her family – she babysits sometimes for us.
SHE’S A GEM!
GORGEOUS!!
Anna picked a GREAT spot for photos!
It was such a great spot – with BEAUTIFUL light and the colors – DIVINE!
BUT THE BUGS! SO MANY MOSQUITOS!!
BEAUTIFUL!!
This alley has been a FAVORITE spot of mine for a VERY LONG TIME!!
Stay tuned for the REST of her session – it was a PERFECT night for senior photos!!
