THURSDAY THOUGHT: I TAKE YOU, MY BELOVED

Hello and happy Thursday to you!  I hope you've been enjoying the blog this week thus far... I am really looking forward to sharing a pretty blog post with you tomorrow!  Hint: it may be slightly related to today's post!

Today I'd like to share this lovely Vows art print from Southern Weddings magazine's most recent edition, V5.  This lovely work-of-art is by the supremely talented Lindsay Letters and is a beautiful rendition of the age-old vows.  Another gorgeous gold foil print... I'm obviously a little obsessed!

I believe that the sweet and sacred vows being made on a wedding day are really the most important part.  And I want to photograph brides and grooms whose love is true and deep and strong... who take these vows seriously ♥

So I wanted to share this as a short and sweet little thought for this Thursday.  I encourage you to read through the print and really think about what it's saying... if you're married, how can you love and cherish your spouse today?  And if you're not married just yet, but have found your true love and you're interested in being photographed together, let's set up a session! ;)

THE CLIENT COMFORT ZONE

One of the coolest things about being a photographer is knowing that I will never stop learning and that there are always ways to improve and grow.  One area that I want to excel in is my client's experience.  I want my clients to feel comfortable and confident in front of my lens!  So when I saw that Gina Zeidler was hosting a webinar called The Client Comfort Zone, I knew that I had to check it out.  Gina is one of a handful of photographers who I consider top-notch and really look up to, both professionally and personally.  I was blessed to meet her last fall when I attended the Making Things Happen workshop, which I promise I will blog about soon ;)

So today I am taking a break from editing, buying a mouse for my mild carpal tunnel, and joining in on a webinar that is gonna be uh-may-zing! Here's what I have to look forward to learning later this morning, courtesy of Gina:

Do you ever feel like you run out of things to say during a session?  Or there are awkward moments where you feel uncomfortable?  Do you ever feel like your images are too posy?  Do you want more real, BIG emotion in your images? Then this webinar is for you!

So excited to share this content on how to make your clients feel comfortable in front of the camera!  I will walk you through my sessions step by step, with lots of tips and tricks to get those big laughs, real smiles and have CRAZY fun while producing awesome images during your sessions.  We will rock through this content for about the first hour then head into some Q&A for you all to ask your questions!  This webinar is open to any creative that wants to learn and to make 2013 the best year yet!

Dance parties & a warm cup of tea/coffee/cup-of-nummy-choice prior to webinar are optional, but ALWAYS encouraged!

Yay!  Good stuff, right?  Really looking forward to this...  happy Wednesday y'all!

ENGAGEMENT: ASHLEY + ERIK

Okay... confession time: I love engagement sessions!  They really are some of my all-time favorite things in the whole wide world!  There is something so beautiful about a couple in love.  And engagement sessions are all about capturing the anticipation of two people preparing for a life of marital bliss.  This next shoot is one that I shot alongside photographer Meg Perotti.  I am sooo grateful she let me join her for several engagement shoots last summer because I really enjoyed each and every one!

The light was gorgeous on this lovely summer evening.  The finely-dressed couple, Ashley and Erik, are set to be married this year and I'm betting that they are going to be looking just as good on their wedding day!  I mean, check out her shoes!  Ashley shared that they were a Christmas gift from Erik... along with that beautiful diamond ring on her finger! ;) You could just tell they are absolutely smitten with one another.  Best wishes to the sweet and stylish couple! ♥

DATES FOR THE NEXT SITEHOUSE GO LIVE WORKSHOP W/ PROMISE TANGEMAN!

To all my creative friends: If you're looking to give your online presence a major facelift or if you want to publish a website for the very first time (like I did last summer!) I am sooo excited to share with you that the new dates for the next SiteHouse Go Live Workshop are April 2-3, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona!

This workshop was one of the absolute highlights of my year last year and pushed me to think hard about developing my brand and I am sooo glad I attended! (That's me at the bottom right and my "New Headshots").

Promise Tangeman and her team are simply amazing and really deliver all that they promise and more... waaait, haha!  (Unintentional pun there!)  But really, check out all they offer below and then try to tell me you're not impressed!

Visit the website for more info or to sign-up: SiteHouse Go Live

For more on my experience in Phoenix with Promise and her team, feel free check out these blog posts:

VIDEO: MY PHOENIX TRIP IN 2 MINUTES

SNAPSHOTS FROM PHOENIX

BUILDING MY WEBSITE AT PROMISE TANGEMAN'S SITEHOUSE GO LIVE EVENT

MY HEAD SHOTS FROM PROMISE TANGEMAN'S SITEHOUSE GO LIVE EVENT

Again, I HIGHLY recommend this workshop for photographers/creatives who want to get a rad website published in 2 days time along with a fun group of people to help you out and cheer you on!

WINTER WONDERLAND PARTY: JOSIAH'S 1ST BIRTHDAY

I love parties.  I always have, for as long as I can remember.  Planning, decorating, hosting... it's all super enjoyable for me.  My sister does too, so now that she has two children she gets to put her creative ideas to use (like last summer's fantastic circus party), planning amazing events to commemorate their sweet little lives. Collaborating with her is one of my favorite things ever and we have so much fun together :)

If you've been reading my blog lately you've probably noted by now that my nephew Josiah turned one a couple of weeks ago.  Not only did we do a fun cake smash session and an adorable mommy and me portrait session, we also had a Winter Wonderland themed party to celebrate his first year of life with friends and family.  We set the wintry scene with green garlands, a mini Christmas tree forest, and lots of icy blue and white details.  I especially loved ice cream cake!  YUM!!!  It was the perfect theme for a memorable first birthday party!

Praying for the food and thanking God for His love and grace...

Cold Stone CAKE!

I'll end this post with the birthday boy and his family in the Christmas tree forest... :)

Happy birthday Josiah! YaYa loves you sweet boy! Mwah!

PORTRAIT SESSION: JOSIAH + ZORAYA

Josiah recently turned one and in addition to shooting a fun smash cake session, we also did a portrait session.  We headed out to a nearby park and I was able to capture some cute, woodsy pictures of my adorable nephew and his pretty momma snuggling and giggling amongst the wintry foliage.  Their mommy and me photos are just presh!