Abnet family

I have known this family core for years and was excited when they asked me to photograph a session of them all!  It was neat to see how the family has grown and to get to know the daughters a little more along with their children and husbands!  Palm Sunday set the day for our session, and although I would have liked to get more outdoor shots, it was a little too windy and chilly!  Overall we got some good shots inside the church...

In my own little corner of the photography world

These past few months I have learned so much about photography that I didn't know, and also learned that there is SO much more to learn.  It almost makes me feel incompetent knowing that I don't know more, but I have to tell myself that I am still in the beginning stages of my knowledge base.  I did however decide to use money that I am receiving for sessions/weddings and some of my tax return to invest in some nicer equipment and resources to hopefully increase the quality of my work and to continue to learn from the best!

Today I purchased a nice lens that I am so excited to use!  I got it from the same photographer that I got my 1D from last spring  =)  I am looking forward to a newborn posing workshop in July and then receiving the first DVD of Photo Vision 2011...which is a set of DVDs of professional photographers who take you behind the scenes and give tips on the way they photograph, use lighting, photoshop, etc.  It's going to be a great resource and I got in on a GREAT deal on it!!!  Last thing I am really looking forward to is upgrading to a 7D when I get my tax return back...which in turn I will be selling my 1D.  It was a great camera, but I would like to have something a little less bulky and easier to handle!  These upgrades and investing decisions have grown my passion for what I have already been blessed with!  I am so excited for spring and summer, and all around nice weather to get out and book more sessions!  One last thing I learned last night, which I don't know why it took me so long to figure out, is how to put a watermark on the photos I put up online!  It was fun playing around with the different fonts and figuring out what I liked best and think I came up with something!

While all of that is great, I have been having a hard time balancing a full time nursing job with finding time to do all of the editing it takes after a shoot. I think that is the most frustrating  piece of it for me right now, maybe one day I will be able to have more of a balance with this.  In the meantime, I hope my clients will be understanding in the turn around time =)

So I have 3 weddings booked so far this spring-fall and am so excited to add to my portfolio with these.  If you know any high school juniors who want to book a senior picture session, have them go to my website and send me some information and I would be glad to book something with them!  Also, spring is a great time for family and your children's shots with the flowers that will be blooming, green grass, greening trees...boy doesn't that sound nice now!??

Well that's all for now.  I included a picture with my watermark included!  It took me so long to figure it out that I have to put one up...and I just like this picture  =)

Have a great day and enjoy the sun!!

Eliot's 1!!

My sweet nephew turned one on Feb. 3rd and why not take the opportunity to capture this time in his life than through a photo session!  His mom set up the time and we met at the Grand Wayne Center downtown Fort Wayne and there it began.  Most of the time we had to bribe him with Cheerios to get him to do what we wanted, but I think we came out with some good ones!  What a ham he is...so fun and so cute, I love watching him grow up!

                                              

Kade-newborn session

What a doll Kade was!  I did this session for my co-worker to try some new newborn poses, but I don't think I was quite ready, nor was Kade =)  He wanted to be awake for the majority of the pictures.  I think I need to figure out how to put them into that deep sleep...although we tried!  Here are a few of this squishy little boy!

Lauren and Travis...they were meant to be!

I met Lauren and Travis as Lauren's sister was planning her wedding and got to know them better in the Bahamas at her wedding!  They are such a fun loving and laid back couple, and their wedding was the same.  Lauren was so calm and peaceful during the day, but was just beaming...a natural beauty!  They were married at an old hidden treasure in Fort Wayne, the Masonry Temple or Freemasons building downtown.  Such a neat place!  Here is a little sneak peak of the day...

The beginning of two lives...Christa and Matt

My first solo wedding!  I was so excited and anxious at the same time that I was being trusted to capture a couple's most important day.  I owe a lot to the bride's sister Tara, who directed Christa to my photography page and suggested she asked me to capture their day!  I've known the Hunter's since middle school and it's incredible to see how grown up Christa is...as she's the youngest of the three girls!  I had such a blast catching the details of their day and was so priveledged to be able to witness their love come together!!  Here is a sneak peak of the day...

Oh Cecilia, what a precious little one!

Little Cecilia was an absolute joy to photograph, even though she didn't want to sleep for me.  I've known her daddy since I lived in Hunt Club and he and his brother lived below my friend and I, so when they said they were expecting I was so happy for them!  I gave them 1/2 off a session as a baby shower gift and had a great time when they asked me to come and do the shoot!  Here she is!