Stretching Myself as a Photographer | Personal

• May 18th, 2016 •

I just returned from The Mid-Atlantic Regional School of Professional Photography (MARS) in New Jersey. It is a school I have been attending for the last seven years to stretch and grow myself as a family and portrait photographer. I love spending time with other professional photographers. Often, we will talk about WHY we became photographers and I have found that my story into becoming a professional photographer is often different than others. Most of my peers fell in love with the ART of photography. They began taking pictures at a young age and learned to develop film in a darkroom, excited by the process of photography. They often began by taking pictures of flowers, sunsets, landscapes, etc. Often that love of photography transferred into taking pictures of people. They seem to all have a deep appreciation and love for art of all kinds. They love visiting museums and often are skilled as artists with a pen, paper or paintbrush as well as behind a camera. They are passionate about art.

My story is different. I didn’t have a camera in my hand growing up and I’ve never developed film in a darkroom. I don’t often visit museums and I never did very well in art class. If you ask me to draw a dog, it might end up looking more like a horse… or a bunny. I fell in love with photography as a TOOL to capture love. I LOVE people. I am passionate about people and the connections between them. I began photography because I wanted to capture the love of family, the strength and passion in a marriage, the love of parents for their children, the connections between siblings, the transition of a young man or woman as they graduate high school and the beauty of new life in a newborn. THAT for me is the art I am passionate about. Photography for me is so exciting because it allows to to take those moments and preserve them forever.

That being said, I don’t shoot landscapes, flowers, trees, inanimate objects very often. I often will see a beautiful landscape and think “That is beautiful, I wish I had a family or couple here so I could create a beautiful portrait.” I notice the beauty, but to me, it would be made more beautiful if I could incorporate the love and connection of people into the scene.

Recently, I reconnected with an old friend who is an amazing artist in multiple different mediums. We had some long discussions about art and the definition of an “artist.” He inspired me to stretch myself and try to expand my view of art through my own photography. Don’t get me wrong, I see so much beauty and talent in landscape photographers, I have some friends who are incredibly talented in that field! I am in awe of what they capture! I just have a hard time myself bringing that same beauty to life behind my own camera.

Like I said, my friend encouraged me to try and stretch myself, and see beauty, vision and perspective in way that DON’T include people. Since I was going to be at MARS in Cape May NJ, a gorgeous place to photograph landscapes, old Victorian homes, animals, boats, etc, I decided to take him up on the challenge.

IT WAS HARD! I am so used to having a vision of what I want to photograph before I start, a vision that ALWAYS includes people. To just walk around and try to find inspiration in the objects around me… that was hard! I only really had one day to work on this personal project, and that day, it was raining and foggy. So my go-to sunrise or sunset pictures were out.

I’m definitely not ready to start selling postcards, but thought I’d share a little piece of myself with you. I feel like a brand new photographer again, as I definitely have a lot of room to grow here, but it’s important to stretch yourself and grow. Here’s me growing…

My New Office | Hampton Roads Photographer

• May 13th, 2016 •

What a year this has been. Last year was a pretty terrible year for me personally and I was so ready for 2016. I was expecting a much better year, but I didn’t expect this!!!

Less than two weeks ago, I signed a lease on my new office space. It has been dream of mine, to get out of my home office, for such a long time but I have been so afraid to take the leap. With a HUGE nudge from my husband, I finally took jumped off the ledge and did it!

My space is located at 1642 Pleasure House Rd. Suite 108, Virginia Beach. The downstairs space is Synergy Space, an amazing multi-use space that can be rented for multiple different uses (parties, classes, networking, meetings, etc) and the upstairs space is ALL MINE!

It’s not a huge space, I’ll shoot newborns and professional portraits/headshots here, but I’ll still rent my other studio space for larger studio work. It is an AMAZING space though to work, edit, meet with clients and have my viewing sessions!

It’s been a long two weeks getting it ready and I am SO THANKFUL to everyone who helped me. Jeris at Smartgiraffe (www.smartgiraffecs.com) was amazing at helping me get my computer up and running and a new screen projector installed and working. My friends were amazing and stepped up helping me paint, decorate, rewrite and organize. My husband Brett did a majority of the work while I was out of town and did all the heavy lifting! I may run this business alone, but I am SO VERY thankful to those who lift me up and surround me with support.

Here is a progression of our before and after images!!

My Olivia helping put up my curtains and touch up all the paint!

My handsome bandyman. I wouldn’t be here without his support and encouragement!

ALL DONE!!! A few little tweaks here and there BUT I’m officially open for business!!!

Soon, I’ll be announcing my open house date and I can’t wait to celebrate with you as I embark on this new adventure… but don’t feel you need to wait. I’d love it if you’d stop by and say hello. I love visitors!

“Quirky” Author Headshots | Virginia Beach Photographer

• February 3rd, 2016 •

I LOVE when I get calls asking for something a bit different than what I normally do! Erin called and asked me for professional portraits to use as she promotes the new teen novel she wrote. Not so different, right? She mentioned “quirky” and “fun” and then she mentioned “Dinosaur park” and I got excited!!!

We headed out to Pungo and braved the cold to capture these fun portraits! She mothered the baby dinos and climbed through fields (okay, bushes) trying to stay out of the way of the T-Rex. He found her though and she had no choice but to take him out with her bow and arrows! She blew kisses to a Brontosaurus and ran with Veloso Raptures!

If Erin’s book as as fun as she is, I can’t wait to buy it for myself and my daughter! As soon as I find out where you can buy it, I’ll let you know. As for now, enjoy these portraits and remember, your professional portraits need to reflect YOU! If you are quirky, fun and a little silly… your portraits should be too!

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(A little late) Wrap up of 2013!!

• January 6th, 2014 •

We have all said it multiple times these past few weeks, but WOW did this past year fly by! So fast in fact, it flew right past me and we are now FOUR days into the new year!! So, yes, I am late in sending out this 2013 wrap-up but I have decided to do it anyway, for you as much as for me! I love reflecting on the past- to see how much I’ve grown and to remember all the amazing people I photographed and portraits I created!

2013 was a year of faith for my family! As many of you know, my husband ended 2012 unemployed and we desperately needed a new start in his career. We prayed and talked for months and then made the difficult decision for my husband to go back to school fulltime while we relied on my photography business income to support our family. Talk about surprised and overwhelmed!!! While I LOVE my photography business, I wasn’t quite ready to be the sole provider for my family… but when God tells you to jump- you jump!! So we jumped and without surprise, God provided!!!

My business plan has always been to develop strong relationships with my clients, to be blessed enough to photograph families as they grow and experience life changes! And I was so very happy to strengthen some of those relationships this year as I photographed, weddings, graduations, pregnant mommies and newborn babies, sweet 16’s and more! Thanks so much to all of you who have been to see me again this year! You truly do make me do a little “happy dance” when you rebook me year after year!! Here are a few of my “favorite” shots of 2013 from some of you who have become so near and dear to my heart and who I now consider part of my photography “family!’

And just as exciting, I was able to photograph many NEW clients this year too! So many of you have referred and recommended me and I am so honored! I do not take it for granted when you tell your friends to visit me and I had sucha great time getting to know so many new amazing people! I am hoping that some of my new clients of 2013 will become repeat customers as well! Take a look at some of their, and my, favorite portraits!

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