fotophilia

I'm such a bad blogger... :(

2010-09-18T18:37:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know...long time, no post!! I tell ya, life just keeps me busy! Since I've been sucky on the blog-front, here's some of my faves from my recent shoots!! *hugs* ;)

A pretty momma and her handsome boys!!

This was my first official wedding: My pal Claire from Claire Reynolds Photography helped me out!!

This is one of my favorite family shoots...a daddy and his girls!

This next shoot was my first "fashion" shoot! Meet Jessica who is mega gorgeous and an aspiring model!! She needed some work for her portfolio so I was more than happy to oblige. Hope you like..

My most recent shoot was my friend Claudia and her newly expanded family! Meet Claudia, Chuck and their coolest lil dude Isaac..

matt + kristin {in love}

2010-06-08T01:44:00.001-05:00

holy crap!! - 2 posts in a week, say it isn't so!!! wellllllll.....here it is, second post in a week. a few weeks ago i was a second shooter with my friend/fellow photog for a beautiful wedding. now this wedding was ridiculously gorgeous...the couple was super hot and the weather was fabulous!! i didn't meet the bride and groom until their wedding day...but while the groomsmen were telling me about the town hotspot (the bar) and helping the bride get glammed up, i felt like i've known them for years! matt + kristin ~ you guys were great and i'm honored to be a part of your day, thanks to the wonderful claire from claire reynolds photography!! thanks claire...i had a blast!! i'll shoot with you anytime!! ;)

About me...

2010-06-04T22:41:00.004-05:00

so, i get nervous talking about myself and getting too personal...i'm trying to overcome that so thats what this post is about...ME.

i'm not a big fan of getting my picture taken which is why you'll almost always see me behind the camera. i'm working on that. about a month ago i had one of my most favorite photographers (kelley-photo.com) ever take some pics of me and my kids. oh my holy WOW!!!! she did such an amazing job and was so proud of these pics that i can't wait to cover my home with these! and i realized that i don't do that bad in front of a camera but i still prefer to be behind one!

now, my life has been nothing but interesting lately. i'm looking to purchase/rent a home - never done that before. i'm about to embark on a new chapter in my life, its both scary and exciting all at the same time. i'm a single mom with two amazing kids. my son is 9 and is the most amazing young man ever. he's into video games and anything outdoors. he brings me breakfast in bed...soooo sweet!! my daughter is 2 going on 20. she is my little comedian and gives me the best belly laughs EVER! she's in looooooove with justin beiber....omg...seriously!!! i'm proud to say that i know alllllll the words to every justin beiber song that exists...believe it!!! dakota, my son, does too, but he would never admit it!! ha ha!

so, i'm one busy lady! but i'm a lucky lady!! i have a wonderful family and a fantabulous group of friends who i love very deeply. of course now i'm gonna share some of the pics from our shoot with kelley. i hope you enjoy them as much as me!

always,
me

{i'm back y'all}

2010-05-24T05:26:00.001-05:00

hello!! it's been like a month, forgive me...my life has been a little on the flip~side lately. when life gives ya lemons make some lemonade, right??? well, this is me making lemonade...i've been editing like a crazy person so i can show off what i've been up to and to prove that i'm still here. first off, a few weeks ago i went to Heather Cole's PLAYshop. wow, i had a fabulous time, met some fabulous people and learned some really cool things. we had a super~duper couple who were gracious enough to allow us to practice on them. this couple was ridiculously cute and crazy in love...which is awesome! so, enough gab and on to the pics...p.s. if ya get a minute check out her website ~ heathercolephotography.com

now onto the second...i would like to introduce you to the brickell family. i've known matt for a few years now and when he asked me to do some family photos, hah...i couldn't say no!!! they have a new addition to their family, little miss molly who just turned 6 months and let me say - she is gorgeous!! You guys have a beautiful family and i enjoyed hangin' out with you all!! much love guys!! :)

2010-04-19T03:19:00.000-05:00

hmmm....it's amazing what life will throw at ya. we either crumble or we stand tall. although life can throw many obstacles our way its what we do with them that makes the greatest difference. you decide for you...no one else. what it all really boils down to are the simple things. enuf said...

{a wedding} ~ my first shadow

2010-04-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

wow...so i shadowed my first wedding!!! honestly, i was excited...nervous...scared, but also a sponge - i was definitely trying to soak in as much as possible!!! julie from julie branyan photography was amazing and i learned soooooo much!!! i'm still learning about my editing style...what i like, what i don't like...its a challenge trying to find something consistent. i'm trying to find where i fit. so, take a look...i can handle constructive criticism. give me your best shot...

{a first}

2010-03-30T05:16:00.001-05:00

i am sooooo excited about my next few posts. on friday i shadowed my first wedding with a photographer i whole-heartedly admire...julie branyan from julie branyan photography!!!! she was ever-so gracious in letting me follow her on a wedding shoot. i will admit, i was insanely nervous and crazy excited at the same time. my photography journey has been sort of a roller coaster ride....full of ups and downs. julie has been a life saver for me. i learned so much in one day it was ridiculous!!! i am currently an editing fool and promise to post some pics soon!!! a million and one thanks go out to julie and her photog hubby josh!!! check out her work...(juliebranyan.com) i'm addicted!! :)

frustration | ugh!

2010-03-21T23:36:00.003-05:00

alrighty, so this blog is more of a chance to vent for a sec...
i love challenge and believe me my life is full of them. it would be beyond boring without them...however, photography has a way of making me wanna pull my hair out, but at the same time i love it too. my recent task was to shoot my husbands new band (marshall brian band - check 'em out, i dig 'em) "live". now, i know i'm new at this but holy crap....so many obstacles. so, i'm by no means gonna give up, anyone got any pointers???? i'm still very much intimidated by my camera which is a work in progress for me. i feel like i've learned a lot over the last year and i know i have soooo much more to learn, which is exciting but also a bit overwhelming. i'm hangin' in there. :)

sooo, enough whining....my weekend wasn't a total bust. i had this awesome shoot planned with my sister carin and my nephew brayden but old man winter decided to give us one more wack with this weather. instead we stayed close to home, the driveway actually, and still managed to get a few shots. my sister is beyond gorgeous and is one of my most favorite people ever. love her!!

{annabella}

2010-03-09T05:22:00.000-06:00

say hello to Miss Annabella. let me say, this little lady is quite fond of her sleep!! she was much more interested in snoozing than hangin' out with me and my camera....that is until we got her in her birthday suit!! her mom and daddy just recently got engaged and are planning for a fall wedding!!! i'm honored to say that i get to shoot their wedding as well, soooooo excited!!! congrats guys, i can't wait!! and Miss Annabella, it was lovely to meet you! :)

more baby Joss

2010-03-02T01:08:00.001-06:00

as promised, more of this cool lil' dude...Joss. i must admit that i am pretty proud of this shoot!! if ya have a minute, let me know what ya think. i love feedback!! :)

{baby, baby..}

2010-03-01T01:21:00.001-06:00

i had the pleasure of shooting my first newborn last week...

meet joss david, born to some super awesome friends of ours and let me say, he is the sweeeeetest thing EVER!!! i have lots more photos to share but in the mean time i'm gonna tease ya with just one!! soooo in love with this little guy ;) Congrats again to Wade and Hallie!

{my camera and me}

2010-02-23T05:24:00.000-06:00

hello there!! so i did it, i hopped in my car and drove where ever the wind happened to blow me. first of all another tidbit about myself...i'm a huuuuuuuuge history junkie - have been since i was a young tike. i love anything with a story. i can remember crawling up on my grandfather's lap as a youngin' and listening to stories about the war. that's what sucked me in and i've been hooked ever since.

i was driving along on this gorgeous, yes the sun was out (shocker), day and passed this reeeeally old cemetery!! now, something else about myself...i love old cemeteries...but, only during the day. they creep me out at night. :( there was something so peaceful and serene about it (i know, its a cemetery!). i found headstones that were over 200 years old and i find myself imagining what the world and these people were like then. were they like me? what was their situation like? did they love? were they loved?? this stuff just fascinates me. other photographers remind me to shoot for myself too, so my goal is to try and get out and shoot stuff that inspires me as often as possible. i'm gonna make a solid effort to do so and so should anyone reading this. it may not be photography but try and do something for yourself once in awhile...plus it keeps ya sane!! have a good tuesday! ;-)

*hugs*

2010-02-03T22:27:00.000-06:00

my goal this week is to out and just shoot random stuff, just me and my camera...whatever inspires me and wherever my car decides to take me. i have no current idea what i want to shoot, but i figure thats the exciting part of my adventure. life throws curveballs which definitely makes life that much more interesting. so, we shall see where i end up..

Obstacles and Fear

2010-02-02T02:15:00.001-06:00

yada, yada yada....obstacles and fear...two of my least favorite things to talk about. however, it is a new year and dangit i need to just get over that crap. i know this is a photography blog but there are obstacles in this profession that scare the hell out of me. yeah, totally!!! so, regardless if you wanna or not i'm draggin' this blog and whomever reads this along with me on this so-called journey. truth...technology freaks me out...but i figured that going at it one day at a time is better than taking on the whole enchilada!! in a year or so i have purchased a new camera, a new computer, a program that is so overwhelming and a new found respect for the patience that i soooo lack!! all of these obstacles have forced me to slow down a bit although i am a product of the "i want it now" generation. but, slowing down a bit with all this new techo stuff is actually teaching me patience. who knew?? now i am by no means saying i have conquered any of this. i am taking it one day at a time. photoshop wins more battles than i wish to speak about but i will get the hang of it soon...i hope! my macbook pro and i are finally figuring out our relationship status. my nikon and i are a work in progress. thats life. and apart from it all, its a challenge and one that i welcome. :)

Inspiration..

2010-02-01T04:06:00.000-06:00

alright, on a personal note...
as i've been on this journey to figure out my purpose in life, i have been forced to ask myself those difficult questions such as..."What makes ME happy?" or "What inspires ME?" i, for one, rarely ask myself those questions but decided to make a resolution to ask them of myself more often. crazy?? probably. i know i'm a month into this new year but better late than never! so, here's what i know makes me happy...the laughter of my kiddos, seeing the look on my son's face when he gets a new video game and then listening to the commentary as he's playing that new game, my daughter rock out to whatever song is playing in the car, the amazing feeling i get when i capture that perfect moment in time...photography..i love it!! now, on to inspiration..i find myself inspired by a lot of different things. and, i've learned, whatever inspires me today may not always give me the same inspiration tomorrow. i find myself being inspired by the simplest and silliest of things too. my friend who so boldly makes certain that my feet are firmly planted on the ground, my husband who has a dream and chases it so ambitiously, the perseverence of a photog friend to keep at it and never give up...to name a few. i have had plenty ups and downs in my life and i figure that there has to be some sort of lesson in it all. i believe in signs and i know that if i give my all in the areas that matter most in my life...everything falls into place. i consider myself lucky. i have great friends, a great family, happiness and inspiration. so, on the flip side...if anyone reads this...what makes you happy?? what inspires you?

2010-01-28T19:58:00.000-06:00

okay, soooo i've been neglecting my blog lately but i'm gonna do better. so, here's a few pics from a few photoshoots from the past couple of months. i feel like i've come a long way from this time last year. i've gained a ton more confidence and have learned a lot about photography. most important of all, it's crazy addictive. hope you like what ya see.. :)

here it is.....my 1st official photoshoot!!

2009-09-15T22:54:00.009-05:00

meet jackson, his pretty momma becky and jackson's godmother jenny from florida!! i met becky a few months ago at a county road 5 show and we became instant friends, these are some super nice people and i am very fortunate to get to know you all!! sooo, enough blab....on to the pics!! i hope you enjoy them cause i'm kinda proud of 'em!!

2009-09-14T04:56:00.003-05:00

got your game face on???? almost ready...

okay, so i'm a newbie..

2009-09-07T01:07:00.000-05:00

so, i'm jumpin' into all this new and grand technology stuff, bear with me as i'm learnin' as i go! i recently got back into photography and forgot how much i loved it to begin with. i did a lot of photojournalism when i was in high school and in college, actually majored in it before changin' my mind about a million times. so....here i am, in the flesh. i've been takin' a few classes from this local photographer who is beyond amazing. if ya get a minute i insist you check her out...kelleyphoto.blogspot.com!! my intentions are to use this as kind of a creative outlet and make a career out of it. i will be posting some pics soon. and sooooo it begins...hope you enjoy! ;-)