pass!

The internet is a wonderful tool for learning new tools, creative techniques and fellow advice from like-minded people!  I came across a post by Pure Photoshop Actions and Photography about an online gallery sharing system (PASS) that left me intrigued.  I checked it out and found it made presenting portraits to clients a beautiful experience.  I PASSed my first gallery today (even though it was from a previous session) just to test it out and loved it! I may still offer a CD/DVD, but for sharing this is a great tool and the outcome is a clean, fast, professional gallery!

{Belinda | Mike}

Not long after my session in December, my cousin-in-law asked me to do a session of her and her husband. They wanted to take pictures by the fountain in downtown Jacksonville and I was a little nervous since I had never done a public shoot.  Out in public, people watching, staring, wondering.  Yeah, those are all thoughts that went through my head.  But, after a few days of letting it sink it, I figured it would be a lot of fun and very different from what I was used to.  Due to schedules, we were sinking below the "golden hour" of perfect light and it was threatening to rain.  However, we met downtown and made the best of what we had to work with by way of weather.  This couple is dear to my heart and so fun to be around.  They laughed, joked and were game for whatever I wanted them to do!

{Johnna | Steven + Family}

Now that it's been a few days since I published my Facebook page and announced to the world that I would be attempting to make my hobby more than just a sideshow, I figured it was time to add some photos to my online portfolio.  I have not had many opportunities to have sessions, mostly because no one knew I wanted to do this seriously except for a handful of people.  However, my cousin's wife contacted me last year to do a family session for them and we set it up for a date in December when I would be home (FL).  I was so happy to do this session for them to help them celebrate the first birthday of their miracle baby.  Here are a few that I really enjoyed from that day!

social media, here I come!

I've known for a while that I've wanted to have a photography business at some point in my life.  I've researched and scoured the internet, books and anything I could get my hands on for the past two years in order to teach myself how to use my camera and get creative with my shots.  I have also known that in order to ever promote a photography business, I would have to join social media.  I actually opened a Facebook business page on March 2nd of this year, but did not publish it.  Why?  I was scared.  Scared of not being "good" enough, mostly, and what would people think.  Even at my age, I still sometimes care about that.

Between then and now, I continued to read blogs, drool over every great photographer's website/Facebook page, and dream about my future in this industry.  Would I ever make it?  I went a little further and created a website on weebly.com just for fun.  I really enjoyed playing with the idea of all of this.  I made mention to my mom about having the website and wouldn't you know it was her and my dad that launched me into this "business."  Hours later, they had "shared" my website on FB and I immediately had the sweaty palms, nervous, pit-in-your-stomach feeling.  Well, crap.  I guess I need to publish that Facebook page now, huh?  Even as I had it pulled up on my monitor, my oldest son standing over me reassuring me I had nothing to worry about, me ready to hit the "Publish" button, I went back and forth as to should I or shouldn't I.  I did.

I was so elated to find that I really didn't have anything to worry about.  I had encouragement from several people, had numerous requests for sessions over the next few months and it only emboldened me to continue striving for excellence in my knowledge and learning of the art.  I am extremely humbled by this opportunity and also grateful to my husband for encouraging me and offering his support.  Before I did anything, I wanted to know that he thought enough of my talent to stand beside me in this endeavor.  And he does.

teenage years!

For the past few years, Taylor has shied away from the camera, so you can imagine my surprise (and excitement) when he agreed to let me take his photos for his 13th birthday.  My mom happened to be in town for Spring Break and I kindly asked for her help in watching the little ones while I had a session with Taylor.  On an earlier drive, I had found the perfect location in a grassy area near Red Top Mountain on Lake Allatoona, so we headed off for the day, which included a picnic lunch with the kids.

When we stopped for lunch, we noticed the huge boulders and lake backdrop and thought we would improvise with a session using nature's gifts. 

Taylor was very engaging in the shoot, offering suggestions and taking my lead on every shot.  But, put a boy (no matter what age) with water and you're bound to have some testing going on.  He wanted to lay between the boulders over the lake at one point and jump off of one rock to the beach in another (which I firmly demanded he not do!).  

When we got home and I was able to view the pictures, I was so happy at how they turned out.  I'm sure in a few years I'll miss all those goofy grins and faces he usually makes, but I was happy he gave me "grown up" pictures this one time.  He's growing up fast and time will fly by, so I'll cherish any photos he "lets" me take!