Burgundy Styled Shoot – Phoenix, Arizona

Burgundy Styled Shoot

Happy New Year!

I don’t think that I can quite describe the butterflies I feel right now! I’m excited for what 2017 holds but man alive I’m nervous!  I spent all of 2016 focusing on laying a foundation to my business and this year I am continuing to build on it. Later this month, I’ll be launching a whole new Senior Collection designed around Senior Girls…which is giving me more butterflies than anything!

At the beginning of 2016, and even into the summer, I was too intimidated to attend a styled shoot. I remember having the conversation with Katrina Amburgey at my first Tuesday’s Together and of course she, the queen of styled shoots, asked me, “why?” At that point I was so intimidated to be around other photographers. One sniff and they’d know I was an imposter. She, of course, encouraged me to attend one, and even after I walked away, called after me to talk more about them. We stood there for another 20 minutes and she let me pick her brain about styled shoots and wedding day procedures. Katrina, you may not remember, but I won’t ever forget our conversation. It was a huge confidence booster and the first time I started to feel a part of a community.

I think it’s fitting that my first post for 2017 is this styled shoot that I attended at the end of 2016. It’s a reminder to me where I’ve been, where I’ve come and that it can only get better from here. You can’t expect to pick up a camera and get it right the first time. It takes investing in time, education, community and yes, even gear.  What was amazing was that I was surrounded by 15 other photographers and we all saw the shot differently. Everyone positioned the models differently, used different lenses and stood at different angles. The same couple, the same background yet the outcome was endless.

If you’re just starting out in photography or feeling a little discouraged, my one piece of advice to you would be to remember that you have a God given talent that is yours and no one else’s. You have your own set of eyes, your own set of ears. Your pictures will not look like theirs, they will look like yours.

2017-01-02_0002.jpg
2017-01-02_0001.jpg
2017-01-02_0003.jpg
2017-01-02_0004.jpg
2017-01-02_0005.jpg
2017-01-02_0006.jpg
2017-01-02_0007.jpg
2017-01-02_0008.jpg
2017-01-02_0009.jpg
2017-01-02_0010.jpg
2017-01-02_0011.jpg
2017-01-02_0012.jpg
2017-01-02_0013.jpg
2017-01-02_0014.jpg
2017-01-02_0015.jpg
2017-01-02_0016.jpg
2017-01-02_0017.jpg
2017-01-02_0018.jpg
2017-01-02_0019.jpg
2017-01-02_0020.jpg

VENDORS

Event Coordinator- Samantha Turman
http://instagram.com/sjphoto_
https://m.facebook.com/samanthajeanphotos/

Wedding dress- Ivory Row Bridal
http://instagram.com/ivoryrowbridal
https://www.facebook.com/ivoryrowbridal/

Table- Scottsdale Farm Tables
http://instagram.com/scottsdalefarmtable
https://www.facebook.com/scottsdalefarmtables/

Floral- Karen’s Kouture
http://www.facebook.com/karenskouture

Stationaries- Lolalee Invitations
http://instagram.com/lolaleeinvitations

Cake- Suzy B’z homemade goodies
https://www.facebook.com/SuzyBzGoodies/
http://instagram.com/suzybz_goodies

Hair- Carissa Mott
http://instagram.com/hair_motty

Makeup- Rosie Reed
https://www.facebook.com/rosiereedbeauty/
http://instagram.com/rosiereedbeauty

Jewelry- Geri’s Gems – A Chloe + Isabel Boutique
https://www.facebook.com/gerisgemscandi/
http://instagram.com/gerisgemscandi

Tux- Celebrity Tux & Tails
http://instagram.com/celebtuxntails

 

AJ Workshop January 2016

Last fall I was desperate.  I had a full schedule with family portraits which was exactly what I wanted.  In fact I wanted more of it.  My creative passions were swelling inside of me.  Though I loved photography, owned a decent camera and stayed pretty busy during the fall season, I had never felt quite like a photographer.  I’m not sure what I thought it meant to be a photographer, a full schedule?  High prices?  Top of the line DSLR?  All of those things I didn’t have.  I had a modest price, only photographed around Christmas and I don’t even own a full frame camera…yet.  So as I was sitting one night, browsing through Instagram, I stumbled upon a hashtag, #ajworkshop.  Now, one thing you should know, is that I live just a few miles outside of Apache Junction, Arizona, often referred to as “AJ”.  So I saw the ajworkshop hashtag along with a few others like #demoseducation and #demosandwich (what’s a demos sandwich and can I have one?) and thought there was a possibility they were a few photographers who did workshops, just up the road in Apache Junction.  But as I continued to hashtag hop, I discovered what “aj” was actually referring too.  Amy and Jordan Demos and apparently they lived in Scottsdale (a tad more sophisticated than the AJ I had originally thought of) and ran workshops for wedding photographers.  Over the next few weeks, I would visit their website, looking and reading about their photography tips.  Their very last tip was, “pray pray pray pray”.  If that was one of their tips that was so incredibly emphasized, I wanted to know more about them.  I joined their mailing list waiting to hear when their next workshop was.  Then, one night, when my husband was gone and the kids were in bed, I sat down in front of my computer to learn more.  I watched their promo video and really liked what I saw.  I was inspired and empowered and then Jordan said, “it’s okay, to tell people you are a photographer”.  And I lost it.  I cried my eyes out.  I needed someone to tell me that.  He wasn’t about competition like most photographers I had met were.  He was about community.  When my husband came home, I tearfully told him that I had to go to this workshop.  We talked back and forth and he so wonderfully didn’t hesitate to book my place in the workshop as soon as the seats opened up.  At that point, I had decided, 2016 was going to be my year.

We spent to very full days taking notes, pictures, telling stories and crying (I cried, a lot).  I was the sobbing fool who walked up to them on day two thanking them in between sobs (and the tears start as I write!) for empowering me to accept my God given abilities.  God gifted me with creative gifts.  Whether it’s photography, styling food or decorating my house, I have a permanent creative filter, it’s who God made me to be and I won’t apologize for it anymore.

Shortly after my workshop, I attended a crafting workshop hosted by a few local bloggers.  When I walked in and introduced myself to the hostesses, they said, “oh! You’re the photographer!”

I smiled and said, “Yes, I am a photographer.”

 

4567893