Wensel-Fitts Wedding

I recently had the opportunity to photograph a wedding. This was my second wedding and I wanted to build on my first experience as a wedding photographer so I was eager to get started.

I met this couple a couple month before through a former student, Megan. You see, the bride Kayla, was her sister. In fact, Megan has been a brides maid at both of the weddings I have photographed. I won't mention that she caught the bouquets at both weddings! LOL

I loved the fact that I was able to spend a good amount of time capturing the getting ready process. Here are a few of my favorites.

I adore the details. Can you tell? This dress was gorgeous and had intricate details.

The plan was to do bridal portraits and first look before the wedding, but we got a little rained out, Luckily, we started early and managed to get some great shots, plus family pictures before the down pour.

The location was beautiful and gave me a lot of great natural light. One of the things I love most about wedding photography, besides the cake, is the love and emotion. I was such an honor to witness and capture their first look.

Congratulations again to the happy couple.  I hope you love your photos as much as I do and that they decorate your home and warm your heart.

I, in the meantime, still have 300 + more photos to edit. I better get to it. Check out my Facebook page for more sneak peeks from this event!

A Photo Session for Yours Truly

I had the opportunity to step in front of the camera for the first time in a while and to take it even better my husband wanted to take some pictures with me! For those who don't know, my Hubby does not enjoy taking pictures so for him to do this is a BIG DEAL! I love him and I want that portrayed in photos on my wall!

My two friends, Tina and Helen, did the photo session for us! We picked a theme and locale and hit Pinterest for ideas. All three of us love photography and enjoy getting the opportunity to share, collaborate and learn through experiences like this one. I think that they did an amazing job. I felt so comfortable and at ease. And when someone can capture a smile from my Hubby...a genuine smile...they are worth their weight in gold!

I definitely have some favorites and I've only seen a couple pictures so far! I think I will be using them to update my blog and Facebook page. What do you think? Do you see a picture you are loving? You see that is the thing about pictures. We all see and love different things about them. Photos capture moments and memories. Not only that, they can show personality in unique and beautiful ways. Simple Significance at its best. 

Cousin Photography Fun

I was recently contacted by a former student about doing to pictures for her grandmother. Of course, I was thrilled! The photo shoot took place this week after a little planning and setting it up on both ends.

The weather was perfect, the farm setting was lovely and my models/clients were super sweet!

This was the  first picture I posted on my Facebook page as a sneak peek. I love how it looks in both color and B&W. What do you think?

I haven't gotten far into the editing of this session yet because I have been busy with Little Miss activities, but when I came across this picture of Miss Savannah I gave myself a mental high five because I think this one came out beautifully. I mean come on...those eyes!?

Some more photos that I am loving because of beautiful colors. I did a little color boost in PSE.

I've got more photos to edit and I am sure I will stumble across another favorite or two....or three. What a beautiful family for sure! You could feel the love and playfulness. And I think that will come out in their photos!

{Project 365} Day 178: Sky

Day 178: Sky
#thebethadillychallenge

I took this picture standing in my doorway a while back. I am reposting for the project. Don't you love the beauty of nature?

{Project 365} Day 175: Favorite Time of Day

Day 175: My morning cup of coffee.

Side note: I do not drink four cups of coffee in the morning. My Hubby does and this is actually his picture. I was totally going to take a picture of this setup, but he beat me to it!

{Project 365} Day 151

Even though I haven't been sharing daily like I should....I have been thinking about and in a perpetual state of catch up on my 365 project. Here are the latest contribution the challenge based on #thebethadillychallenge photo prompts.

Prompt: Basket 50mm, f/1.8, 1/60s, ISO 1000

This is a picture of the crap catch basket on my counter!

Graduation Inspired Photography 2015

As a high school teacher, I am honored to be apart of our commencement ceremony each year. This year, I brought my camera and was able to capture some before and after pictures. I don't have a lot of pictures of students (you know release forms etc) or a lot of pictures in general because I was busy working, but I do like the few I got.

It took me like 5 tries to get that tassel in focus for this one,

I loved the speeches this year, So many laughs and great memories were shared. 

 Yearbook sentiments are sometimes silly or hard to write, but I hope they look back on them fondly.

 We had over 230 graduates this year. It is small by comparison to other schools I know. However, it takes a village to graduate a class, but it also takes a great leader!

 Some friendships will last a lifetime. Treasure your dearest friends. Make an effort to maintain the friendships that mean the most because during the years to come you find out who your true friends are.

{Project 365} Day 135

Even though I haven't been sharing daily like I should....I have been thinking about and in a perpetual state of catch up on my 365 project. Here are the latest contribution the challenge based on #thebethadillychallenge photo prompts.

Today's prompt is 9:00 am. 50mm, f/2, 1/60s, ISO 500

Yep, we are still in our PJs reading a good book! This is exactly what childhood is about.

My First Newborn Session

Attempting my first newborn session was a little intimidating and scary. Babies do not follow directions and they are needy. So armed with my patience, off I went to my friend's house to photograph her daughter in the comfort of their own home.

Here are a couple of my favorites. Well, a little more than a couple to be fair. 

Baby toes are the best. One of my favorite pictures of my daughter from her newborn session are her toes! 

 Look at those sweet, big, loving eyes!

 I think this one here is by far one of my favorites. Dads are so important to little girls.

Thank you "C' family for allowing me into your home to capture a small part of your journey into parenthood. May your love continue to grow and your nights be restful. Treasure the simple and significant moments you encounter as a new family. God Bless.

My First Wedding Photography Style

If you know me or have been following me, you know that I recently photographed a wedding this past March. However, I have been so busy editing and dealing with life that I never got around to writing about it on the blog like I usually do. So as the editing nears completion (plus the fact that I have the motivation to blog), I want to share with some of my favorite pictures and how the day went from my point of view behind the lens!

Looking back at my own wedding, I wanted to be sure to capture the details for the bride and groom because there are things and moments that will fade with time. A picture, however, will capture the moment forever.

 If there is one thing I noticed about the bridal party, I would say that there was tons and tons of love.

 I think this walking shot is one of my favorites of the day. The classic shoes and the sway of the dresses is breathtaking,

 Who doesn't like a sassy pose? These girls were game for the more fun and nontraditional poses! Which I loved because it really shows more personality.

True friends will always be at your side. I've known these girls since they were students in my Psychology class! They are brilliant, hilarious and have each other's back no matter what! It was so great to catch up with them.

This lovely young lady made the sweetest groomsmen! The bow tie was adorable!

 There is something striking about a serious, pensive pose don't you think?

 These guys were also a fun and charismatic group. Their laid back style made my job easy!

 I was going for a "Beatles" like scene of walking across the road. I kind of wish I had more time to try different angles, but there was traffic and we were on a schedule.

 I love, love, love the smiles in this pictures! They are so genuine and the joke being told was funny too!

The groom had so much love in his eyes for this high school sweet heart. Can you see it? 

 These two wanted to be traditional. They had not seen each other all day! This kiss was beautiful! I have a few first kiss shots, but this is one of my favorites.

 Are we done taking pictures yet? I am ready to go eat? LOL!

 Can you spot the hidden Mickey? The bride and groom had their love of Disney apart of so many aspects of their big day!

 Hold me close and never let me go!

 The Happily Ever After Cake was delicious! The cake is one of the most important aspects of the reception I think! It's why I go to weddings!

So now that you're married what are you going to do? Go to Disney World of course!

Sam and Katie,thank you again for choosing me to be apart of your special day. It was truly an honor and a privilege. I hope you love your pictures and find your favorites within the mix. Love each other. Keep life simple and significant. God Bless.

Newbie Photographer Wishlist Update 5

Photography equipment and wants is an ever growing list for me! I suppose one great way to look at it is that this is a "hobby that pays for the hobby!" My last update post on my wants can be found here.  I shared my original  "wishlist" of things I would like for my photography hobby and the first update and the second update soon followed.

This wishlist in my mind is wedding themed. After I did my first wedding this past March and attended a wedding, I honed in on my next items if you will. Photographing a wedding is an entire "beast" on to itself and professional photographers recommend equipment. Now, I don't know how far I want to commit to wedding photography because it was a lot of work, but it was fun and a great experience. I am working on a blog post about my first wedding this weekend so be on the look out!

1. Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens
   

I drooled over this lens at my friend's wedding. The second shooter was working with this bad boy and was getting the distance shots. According to Amazon reviews this lens does not have an image stabilizer and doesn't work well indoors lighting (needs an external flash). This would be the most expensive lens I have bought to date. It costs more than my camera. Again, as a hobbyist, this is a big deal investment and may not happen in the end. A girl can dream right?

2. External Flash Attachment

Primarily this would be used to take better pictures indoors. If I shoot in manual mode I can adjust my camera settings, but shooting indoors can be difficult. (Practice, practice, practice) At the wedding I photographed while I was taking pictures, someone turned off the lights during one of the dances. I totally caught me off guard and I have to quickly change settings. It wasn't a big deal. I got the pictures I needed. I just wonder what my pictures would look like comparably with this flash. Obviously, this would be something I would need to learn how to use as well. 

3. Extra battery- never have just one battery. Apparently, this is in the wedding photographer bible. Can you imagine what would happen if your battery died during the event?! Holy crap. This is the cheapest thing on my wishlist at the moment. I know if I do another wedding, I will buy this ASAP. I can work without the other two wants.....but I don't want to risk it.

4. Extra SD card- I have a cheap backup SD card that I bought on black Friday, but my Hubby says it has a slow speed or something. I have something at least in case my card fills up. I took 1,300 pictures at my first wedding so I know a full card can happen. Yes, I could go through and deleted the bad ones on site, but then that would waste the battery. Do you see the connection between number three and number four?

Life Planner (Oxymoron, Right?)

I genuinely love being organized. I like knowing the answers to certain questions, crossing off my to dos, and having goals. Life seems a little smoother and more manageable. Yes, I am a little Type A, but that is another story.

I really haven't used  planner for my "my life" since graduating high school. Fun fact: I still have my high school planners! My work life has revolved around my desk calendar. At the start of every school year, I sit down and put in my required meetings, class pacing etc.

My home planning is a little more sparse or scattered (those are good terms to use I think). I sometimes meal plan which will guide my grocery shopping. The hubs and I keep a dry erase board on the fridge to upcoming obligations and events like conferences, doctor appointments etc. I really love that idea.

Last weekend, I got the "wind up my skirt" to amp it up when it came to my planner. You see, I bought a planner at Wal-Mart for keeping up with blogging and photography. However, neither of these things have "taken off" in a way that is like business. I didn't want a planner with a bunch of blank pages so I started putting more and more in it and it snow balled from there.

My "snowballing" eventually lead me to Pinterest in search of ideas. I read about the Rolls Royce of planners, The Erin Condren Life Planner. Don't get me wrong these planner are cute and have lots of features, but I don't know if $50 is a good price for a planner when I have he tendency to start things and then stop {hobby whore, remember}.  However, Pinterest and the posted links did give me some good ideas on things I could do to and in my planner.

Here is what I have so have:
Binder pouch
Washi tape
Post its
Extra tabs
Colored pens
Assorted stickers (from my scrap booking days, Walmart and Etsy)

So far, I really like that the planner is helping me with the 365 photography project. I wrote down all the #thebethadillychallenge prompts so I know what my picture to suppose to focus on. I've also tried to note my weekend chore rotation. I know I clean up to clean up, but it's nice to know if you know what I mean?!

This upcoming week I am going to try meal planning our dinners in my planner. I know it can be done, but I've got to take the time to do it!

Be purposeful is the theme I am noticing here. For example, I am trying to purposeful plan out some of my 30 before 30 goals and family activities. I have left myself notes throughout the plan to set this up or go and do this.

It's like the reminder note it yelling at me or silently judging me if I don't  do it,

In the extra notes sections, I added tabs and created new areas which I think are helpful to me. This includes my house to dos/projects, birthday party planning, and blogging ideas.

Ultimately, the quest continues.....we'll see where it take me.