Engagement Session

This session was one of my first "real" photo shoots. I'm not sure if it qualifies as a real shoot however, since it was for my brother, but oh well. My brother and his fiancee needed to get some engagement portraits taken for their upcoming wedding. The only thing was, they weren't yet "technically" engaged. Yes, they had already set a date, booked a chapel, etc., but since the ring was still in production, he had yet to pop the question. His sweet fiance wanted to wait for pictures until she had her ring, but with a super short engagement, we were running out of time. I assured her that I would get some great pics regardless. I suggested that, as a prop, we take one of my old ring boxes so that we could stage a proposal for the shoot. I told her it would make for a really cute setup with my brother down on one knee. Little did she know....the ring had been completed the week before!!! So with my camera ready, my bro got down on one knee for the "fake proposal" shot. When he opened the box to reveal her gorgeous ring, I was able to capture her reaction on film!  It was such a fun shoot with two of my favorite people. I felt so privileged to be a part of their special moment.

This is the "staged" shot, before she realized what was in the box. 

Notice the shock on her face as she realized the box was not empty. 

Notice the tears...

...and the Joy!!  She said "Yes", by the way. 

Just 8 more days until this cute couple ties the knot! I can't wait!!

My new blog :)

I wanted to create a separate blog devoted solely to my pursuit of photography knowledge! I have just started the journey of learning how to take good pictures. Photography has always been fascinating to me, but I always saw it as something that was way beyond my reach. I thought, "oh, that is too hard. Too much technical jargon to learn. Too much time required to learn to do it right." But then I decided, if I learn even just a little bit, my pictures will be better than they WERE, right? And with every added tip and technique that I "master", they will get just that much better, right? So, I took the plunge. I talked my husband into buying me a Canon Rebel DSLR. It took me a good 6 months after that before I started attempting to shoot without full auto. Now, I scour the web (if I can get a spare minute or two) looking for tutorials, reading tips on lighting and composition, learning how to edit my photos in Photoshop Elements, and trying to absorb any information I can to help take my photography to the next level.

Some of my photography goals are to start a mini business where I take photos for friends (and friends of friends) for a very reasonable price. Right now, my "business" is set up so that, for a set amount, they receive a CD full of edited photos from their session plus a copyright release to print them as they wish.  My long-term goal is to sharpen my skills to the point that I could apply to be a photographer for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. This organization is very special to us. The beautiful pictures we received of our sweet Baby Bella from her short time on this earth are beyond invaluable to us. I can only hope to serve others in this way during a time that is so heartbreaking. I see it as a ministry and a way to honor Bella's life.

I have been so blessed to have some friends that have let me practice on them over the last few months. I have done 2 newborn shoots, a couple of 3 month olds, a couple of families, and an engagement session. I will be sharing some photos from these and future shoots as well as things I learned from each of them.

This blog will also serve as a way for people to get a sneak peek at their photo sessions and give my mom a way to see my work! :)