in home, snapshot sessions!

I feel so luck to do the job that I love. I enjoy every aspect of shooting: families, weddings, everything in between. As it's my *job* to make my schedule + find a way to make it work for our family, this year has brought some interesting changes: more families and less weddings. I shot THIRTY TWO weddings last year. 32! Insanity, and, truly, while I loved it, it felt insane. Our summer flew by. I vowed to make this year different. Slower. More intentional. It's working, and an added benefit I've happily found is that I have more time to shoot something I'm deeply passionate about: families.

Candidly capturing children and families comes easy to me. It feels like second nature, because I know how I want my own family to be photographed. It's not hard. It's not stressful. It's not fast moving. If we have to, we can wait out that two year old until shooting doesn't seem like work for them. They're babies. It should be fun!

Same with parents. You're either incredibly sleep deprived due to your new baby, or just in that general, I'm a parent, I don't sleep forever phase of parenting young kids. I get it.

So, we've still got this weird Ohio season happening. This time of not quite spring, but so over winter we don't know what to do with ourselves. I'd like to fill my weekends + evenings by coming into your homes / meeting you at your favorite spot around Columbus documenting your days, and for a special time + price. it's for you, yes, but it's also because I know that once May hits, I won't be taking on many sessions until October or November due to wedding season craziness.

The details:

45 minute in home / *special place* on location

Digital images delivered digitally, with printing rights

$250

email today as I feel like I have endless weekends, but in reality will only take on about 5.

jessicalovephoto@gmail.com or use the contact link via website!

these are the days

A while back, I blogged to ask you guys to vote for a photo in a contest. wellll! I won 2nd place, THANK YOU! With that came a sweet little vintage Canon film camera. Being me, I hate asking for help, but I did it anyways, and since have been thinking of ways to pay it forward.

When we lived in our first house, our, then just two boys, were 2 something and 1 something, and we had hanging on a wall a piece of art, made by me, that read, "the best is yet to come." And, I thought it was the truth. Not that I looked desperately forward away from today, but just that good things were about to be.

Fast forward another baby, another house, and I decided the mantra for this current life should be, "these are the days." Probably largely because I've learned, the future is always coming. These fleeting moments of NOW are so precious. SO fast. And over before you know it. I now, desperately try to stick to TODAY, this very minute, as much as I can because it seems like tomorrow is threatening to come before I'm ready! (yeah ok, it sounds a little apocalyptic but I'm a mama, what can I say).

What I want to do, to show my gratitude for all the support is give away a session that salutes this notion of these moments making our lives. The not always poetically beautiful. The chaotic. The moments you're knee deep in (what you see today) as the .... craziness of raising babies, or puppies (!), but what you'll see in 10 years as the moments that have made you, and your family, who you are.

So how do you enter!? I'd like to propose a hashtag on instagram: #thesearethedayscontest you'll tag your photos that you think represent your crazy, your moments of your life, to show me, and I'll pick one as a favorite, and we'll schedule your session.

Now, of course, I want the session to reflect this notion, too. A true documentary storytelling session. I get to spend 2-3 hours with you capturing the beautifully mundane. YES! clean your house, put on your makeup, get ya hair did...but then, just be. Let it happen how it happens.

There you go! There's a lot of rules, it seems, but if you think you're down for it, please, hashtag #thesearethedayscontest (make sure you're public, or DM (@_jessicalovephotography) me on instagram so I can see it!), and let me see your beautifully normal moments. If you don't have instagram, I'll say it's ok if you use the contact me link via my website, too. I want to be all inclusive.

Looking to let this go for a month or so, with the session to be scheduled in the first week of April or so.

Liz + Michael | Married at Strongwater!

Love when I get a chance to shoot at venues that, on their own, inspire me. Liz + Michael were married in September (I know, seriously, blogging is clearly not on my priority list: if you're waiting to see your wedding on here, dear clients, someday...someday I will get all caught up!), on a day that started out HOT and gorgeous. As you'll see, that weather quickly changed (as in, Mike and I wondered if the people we were in the tent with, before the ceremony, would be a good group to stick together during a natural disaster! the winds! the rain!). They had planned to not do a first look, and as the clouds came rolling in, I realized I had the difficult job of questioning their original schedule, to make sure they didn't want a chance to get the urban portraits around Franklinton they did want - but wouldn't be available with the impending forecast. Why's this relevant? Because I see my job as so much more than just photographer. I saw it as my job to think ahead, and help with anything that they might regret. We had this window of opportunity to create the portraits they had imagined, but it meant going against what they thought they wanted. Ultimately, they stuck with their decision, and it's because they trusted me. They knew that, regardless of where we did the portraits, they'd get the experience and outcome they desired.

It all ended up perfect. A (hot) trek around the art space allowed us to get the bridal party photos. And, they braved the rain for a few awesome umbrella photos.

Enjoy a glimpse into their day!

(Floral design: Eco Flora , planning: Something Blue Designs , venue: Strongwater)

Sulin + Ted | on film

A winter wedding (12.30, to be exact) in (grey) Cleveland, with an awesome second shooter (heyyyaaaa Mal!) and I shot more film at this wedding than I had all year. Seems crazy due to the (dark) conditions and all...but the time off from my last November wedding until this one fueled the passion I have to create art for my couples in a way that's different. See their film highlights below!

(black and white film shot on HP5, rated 1600, pushed 2 in development. color is fuji 400 h. All developed and scanned by The Darkroom)

a contest!

Guys! I never nevvvvver enter contests. Well I can't say never, I guess, because I have, and that's why I'm here. I entered this photo

if you go to this link: https://www.facebook.com/thedarkroomlab/photos/pcb.1408473192536985/1408468759204095/?type=3&theater (it's a facebook page) and likeit - you'll make my day! or if you're on Instagram, you can find the photo on @TheDarkroomLab 's page! Like it there too! most combined likes will win a film camera.

the best coast!

Big news for us! We're traveling (on an airplane) for the first time as a family of FIVE. Our kids are used to traveling and being out of their comfort zone, BUT doing anything involving an airplane, with three children all in big old car seats felt really overwhelming. Till now!

So as we're planning our trip, I am opening up some time to get to schedule in some sessions (family! couples! engagement!) while we're there. Here are the details:

Early February, LA area, all film sessions. Do you think you're interested? Know someone who just got engaged and would love to shoot with me? Want to get a late Christmas present for a family member who'd love a family session!? Email me! I'll go through all the details with you!

jessicalovephoto@gmail.com