I'm Alive... and why edited images are better.

I'm alive. I promise. I'm just swamped.
I've got great stuff to share, and I know that I'm behind on sharing, but it will be worth the wait. :) I've just finished up with the final images of Tina & Mike's wedding... so I can now focus on getting up some favorites of spring sessions I've done in the past few weeks.

Before scooting out of here and back to being a slave to Photoshop, I wanted to share a quick image with you. It's one from Leslie & Ike's 10 year wedding re-do portrait session. A before and after, showing why edited images are better.
Some clients ask if I provide a CD of all of the images that I take at a session. My answer is no. While I do show almost all of my images in a client's gallery, I take several out (i.e. no one wants pictures of themselves mid-blink or with a funky look on their face) and pare the images down a bit (i.e. it's often overwhelming to see so many pictures and many of them being multiple images of the same pose). While a client choosing images gets to see the "raw" footage that I take, they don't ever have the option of buying them. Why? Because edited images are better. I promise. And really, that's why you're paying me for my time and effort. You really don't think the only time I spend on your images is just the hour I'm photographing your family, do you? :) You're paying me for the whole package. When you go to a baseball game, you don't expect the umpire to call the game in the 8th inning. You came to see all 9.
Here is the proof... see the difference? Very little editing was done on this image (I strive to get my work good in camera so that I don't butcher them up in post-processing) but it makes such a big impact.



See? A little love goes a long way.

Spring Mini-Sessions!

I had such a good time during my spring mini-sessions a few weeks ago. A few people ended up having to re-schedule because of the weather, but we're working on getting them completed. The weather had been crummy the entire week before the sessions, so our location had to be moved from the park to VSU. I was bummed at the thought of not having that nature scenery, but I was pleasantly surprised to get some green in the images. :) Here are some of my favorites!

Sassy :: Child Photography

Sassiness isn't always a good thing. But when you're 3, 5, and 14 and work it in front of a camera... sassiness is an awesome quality to have. :) K, M, and M have been clients of mine ever since Miss Middle M was 1. I've been honored to be able to capture them grow, and I was amazed at how much they've grown since our last session together. :) K is maturing, and it's so neat to see her develop into a teenager. And Miss Tiny M is as much a fire-cracker as she's always been. All three girls kept me on my toes during our session, but we had so much fun together!

Leslie & Ike :: 10 Years Later

Months ago, Leslie and I began plotting our ideas for her 10th anniversary photo session. Leslie and Ike have been working on changing their lifestyle habits over the past year, and they've both lost a good amount of weight. So much so, that they look even better TODAY than they did TEN years ago! Incredible transformations. Including Leslie being able to fit into her wedding gown!
The weather desperately wanted to rain on our parade, but we refused to let it stop our plans. We made a detour to the church where they originally got married on May 26, 2001 and re-enacted their wedding portraits. Then we headed into down and hung out around West Hall of VSU. Which, coincidentally is where they met. (cues the "awwwww"s now)
I had SO much fun during our session together. Maybe it's because they're comfortable in front of my camera or maybe it's because they're so comfortable with one another. But I swear this was the easiest wedding-ish shoot I've ever done. It's probably because there weren't family members around taking pictures next to me, or a reception we needed to go to after pictures. :) It was difficult narrowing down my favorites. But I think I got them here. Enjoy! If there's anyone else out there who wants to do a session like this, I'm looking forward to you contacting me. It was truly a blast!!

Tina & Mike :: Wedding Photography

Not only was Tina and Mike's wedding fun because they're an awesome couple... they also happened to get married on my own anniversary! :) I have to say, if there's anything I'd rather do other than spending time with my husband, it would be seeing two people who are as in love as I am getting married to their sole mates.
I loved Tina's originality and the way she truly expressed her personality in her wedding details... include a silver wedding gown and personalized Converse shoes (hers were white with blue lining as her "something blue").

Kristina & Chris :: Married

Kristina hired me based on a recommendation from her soon-to-be sister-in-law... who has been a client of mine for portraits for the past five years. I was so excited to be able to photograph this wedding, and spend more time getting to know their families.
The ceremony was held near the Big Oak in Thomasville, an outdoor ceremony on a day when rain was tempting to pour all day. Thankfully, it held out, and the sun shined a bit during their vows.
Here are a few of my favorites of Kristina and Chris' big day!

Tyler :: Newborn

Tyler is as cute as could be, and he made sure to stay awake and alert during our session so I wouldn't forget about him while I was there. :) He's adorable, and I'm so excited to share images from our session together!