more film, more my kids!
it's my blog, so while, technically I can do whatever I want, I kiiinda feel like I should be sharing weddings. I'm about booked up for 2017, though, so I am just going to do what feels awesome and share some personal work I've been shooting.
I don't know what crazy thing made me fall head over heels into film. Oh wait. I do. I have fallen for film because, as a wedding photographer, it's incredibly easy to come away from a wedding with 2000 photos shot, only to cull those down to anywhere from 800-1200 for a final gallery for a couple (which is still an insane amount of images!). It felt inauthentic. I needed a way to get back to really being present. To understanding that each moment I get to capture should be worth pushing that shutter.
That being said, I'm blowing through film like crazy each week trying to get better and better. BUT! it's still slowed me in a way I'm deeply grateful for. Sawyer on the floor playing with Coco? How many options do I really need? One, the answer is one.
I'm so so excited to get to offering clients film sessions. To be present in each moment with my wonderful couples and families (I'll start with families and engagement sessions!). Stay tuned for some of those coming soon!
For now, check out how we'd spent some of the last weeks of summer!
film is not dead
I'm super excited I've been shooting (so much, oh my gosh so much) film lately, and only after this long realizing, I can share these on my blog, instead of bombarding instagram with images of my kids. (not that I think there's anything wrong with that, but I'm just not a big fan of doing that)
What initially drew me into wanting to try film (again) was the way the images looked, the color, the tones. What's caused me to become hooked is the authenticity behind it. The attention to detail, being completely present in the moment, and shooting for that one great snap. I'm excited to continue to grow - I signed up for the Embrace the Grain workshop that starts tomorrow!
On to some images! These are all taken with my 200 *ok I'm exaggerating* year old Rebel G camera (I have a EOS 3 to arrive in the mail today, I can't wait), with my L series, and Sigma lenses. I decided to upgrade to a new body because the photos were just not sharp - and I know it isn't my lenses, as they work perfectly with my digital body. I edit my digital images with film based presets, but I'm quickly learning there's nothing like the real thing. Portra 400 is my favorite. I'm sending in some rolls from vacation (vacation! I can't wait to share these) including Fuji Velvia 50, and Portra 160. I can't, can't, can't wait!
getting lost along the way | finding my way back!
Something happened over here, and while it was all good, there was a big part of me missing. In 2009, when I started this business (or "business" as I was still working full time, too), I used my blog as a space to do my thing. To tell stories. Then, I got busy. I got booked. And booked, and booked. And, because I didn't NEED to tell stories to gain clients, I stopped telling my story on this space. My clients still got their own beautiful stories in their wedding galleries...but what about here?!
Now we're well into our journey over here, and I've gained a whole lot of storytelling muses in the form of three Little Mac Babies. I'm making a vow to myself this year to make it a priority to get stories onto these (internet) pages. Because, well, it's my space, and I can do that. Also, though, because the beauty I get to capture deserves that!!
Not only that, but I see this space as a sort of journal for our life journey as well. We've chosen the path of homeschooling, and as a result I'm on the internet quite a bit looking for other family's stories of success, failure, and everything in between. I hope that by sharing our story, we can reach maybe even one family who might need it. Isn't that what we're all looking on the internet to do? Connect, somehow, with someone else?
I'm not making a schedule, or following rules for myself. I am just saying, HEY! SELF! BLOG! and hoping it sticks.
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that this week starts a stretch of 9 weddings in 5 weeks. SAY WHHHAAAT!? How is that math even really possible. My crazy brain works like, well, I survived a whole wedding season PREGNANT (most recently 2014), then last year we had a newborn, and we survived...I can definitely take on some crazy amount of weddings. PSHHHHH. I got this.
Did I mention I'm a little sleep deprived?
So you're here! Stick around, subscribe? is that a thing? And you'll get to see all the fun this year. More than the teasers and eye candy I show over on the social medias.
nursing sessions!
So here I am (or thought I would be, more on that in a minute) in the thick of all the emotions about coming to end on my nursing journey with my children...I always allowed baby lead weaning, Finn stopped around 12 months, Sawyer at 9, and Coco, well, while there's currently no end in sight, I know, now that she's a year old, that month by month is all I can really count on for her. The way her personality is, one day, boom! she'll just decide she's big enough to not need to nurse, because she wants to keep up with her brothers. And then? I'll close this hard, stressful, amazingly important chapter of my motherhood book. (hold on a minute while I wipe up my puddle of tears)
As a creative, it's hard to know when and where inspiration will hit. In this instance, it was through another talented photographer, Val Ely over at Happy Ely After
who, during our family session, snapped some of me nursing Coco. When I saw them, I immediately knew I would LOVE to give others the joy I felt when I viewed my photos.
What I'm planning for you guys is this: quick sessions that will be on location (a park in COLUMBUS OHIO), lots of pretty quilts, (if Ohio Spring agrees) some beautiful light, and YOU AND YOUR BABY. I don't care how old or young your baby is, just that they're hungry ;) . . . . and if they're not right away, I'll scheduled in time that I can make sure to get some sweet snuggles, and have time to wait for them to be ready to nurse.
What you'll get from the session is a full gallery of images online, and one digital download of your favorite from the day (the rest available for purchase), with no session fee. A big part of motherhood, to me, is supporting other Mamas. And this feels like my chance to get to do that. I'm happy to be able to give amazing memories of the most precious times in your life, when I'm able to, and so I'm taking this opportunity to do so!
Now the details. I don't have everything figured out because the weather is just so unpredictable, but I'm thinking around the week of April 18th through the 23rd. I want to shoot as many as I can, so I'll offer one week night and one weekend evening. What you can do, until we have an accurate forecast, is email me if you know you have availability that week. I'll base my week day solely on weather, so make sure you're available all throughout the week. And then once I nail down location, date, and times, I'll confirm your space!
I'm so so excited about these, and would absolutely love for this to reach as many families as possible, so please SHARE away, and let people who might be interested know!
Thanks so much for being here!