Warning:  this is going to be long!

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to hang out with some amazing people with amazing hearts… oh, and we all happen to be photographers  It was so cool to talk about what makes us love photography, and it happens that most of us just really love people and capturing something special about them and the connections they have with their loved ones.  A big thanks to the amazing Stuart Thurlkill at Eyes to See Photography for opening up his super cool studio for us to meet at and leading us in our mock bride/groom shoot!  Also to our beautiful models, Roseann & Justin… you two were fantastic, even with a paparazzi worth of cameras clicking away at you!  I’m posting my camera settings (metadata) because I think it helps to get that little bit of information about an image.  I know I have learned heaps from photographers that have done the same!  These were all shot on a Canon 5D Mark II camera body… the thing I am loving most about this camera is the clean shots that result even at high ISO!

I’m posting this one first because I really love it… of course there were other names scratched into that heart on the wall, but photoshop made it easy to put the appropriate names in place!

Lens:  70-200 at 78 mm, f/ 4.0, ISO 800, 1/500

I love this lens because it allowed me to stand back and zoom in through the other photographers to get this shot.  I also love the soft bokeh you still get even at f/4!

Our beautiful model Roseann has the sweetest smile & still looks stunning in her wedding dress!  Roseann’s hair and makeup done by the talented Julie Read of Juju’s Tutu’s!!

Lens:  70-200 at 170 mm, f/ 2.8, ISO 1000, 1/1250

Lens: 50 1.4 , f/ 1.8, ISO 400, 1/4000

We used a reflector for many of these backlit shots!

Lens:  70-200 at 70 mm, f/ 2.8, ISO 800, 1/800

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 1.8, ISO 400, 1/4000

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 1.8, ISO 400, 1/1250

Lens:  70-200 at 160 mm, f/ 2.8, ISO 800, 1/800

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 1.8, ISO 400, 1/1250

I snagged this images from Tara’s blog of our group… Tara did a great post introducing everyone here

And here’s one of everyone in action!

The next day we did a shoot with a newborn and an expecting couple.  The newborn session was at my in-home studio and our little model was 8 day old baby Logan!  He even gave us a smile… several of them in fact

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 1.8, ISO 400, 1/250

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 1.8, ISO 400, 1/250

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 1.8, ISO 400, 1/250

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 1.8, ISO 400, 1/250

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 2.0, ISO 400, 1/500

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 1.8, ISO 400, 1/200

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 2.2, ISO 100, 1/200 with strobe + natural backlight

Thanks Joanna for being so wonderful and letting us photograph your little guy!

And finally our expecting models… Briana & Daniel!  This was so special for me because Briana was one of my girls the first year I lead a group of freshmen girls at my church youth group!  Now she’s going to be a momma and is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside!

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 3.5, ISO 640, 1/100

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 2.0, ISO 500, 1/160

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 2.0, ISO 500, 1/160

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 2.0, ISO 500, 1/100

This just shows what great shape Briana is in!  I was impressed!

Lens:  70-200 at 78 mm, f/ 2.8, ISO 800, 1/400

Lens:  70-200 at 70mm, f/ 2.8, ISO 800, 1/640

Lens:  50 1.4, f/ 1.8, ISO 500, 1/200

Doni has officially gotten me hooked on using strobe in the great outdoors!  I love the look it gives (used strobe on next two images)

Lens:  70-200 at 70 mm, f/ 11.0, ISO 500, 1/200 with strobe

Lens:  70-200 at 85 mm, f/ 11.0, ISO 500, 1/200 with strobe

Well, that’s it for now!  I was so honored to get to spend time with such cool people and get to laugh and learn from one another!  And a big thanks to Tara for dreaming this up and bringing it to life!

One thing I really love is when I get to see the same clients again and again… the first time I met this beautiful family, little miss Chylar was still in mommy’s belly!  These sisters made my job capturing them together so very easy… it’s so obvious that they really do love each other!

Love the pure joy…

I know, I know, Chylar and Rowan’s parents look like they could be employed by Calvin Klein as models!  :)  Don’t hate though… They are actually some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet!

Seriously though, I think every couple needs to remember to get photos taken of just the two of you!  After all, that’s how it all began  I think photos like this are a simple reminder of your unique love story.

Cute hats… check!  Cute shoes… check!  Two cute girls… check, check!

Thanks for inviting me to photograph your beautiful family once again S & J!!

I was way over due once again to get some new portraits of my babies done!  So we did a few photos over near Grammy & Pappy’s house… I am always pleasantly surprised when I actually end of with a good handful of keeper when I photograph my own kids!  All you photographers out there understand right!  It’s almost easier for me to photograph someone else’s children than my own… then again, it could just be their current ages.  My girl being 3 and my boys being 22 months means sitting still is not in the vocabulary!  Thanks to Grammy for helping me get some smiles out of my three little buggers!

I processed all these images with textures… what I like to call a little “Photo Art”.  This is probably more my style because of the dramatic quality it adds!  So why don’t I do this to ever image I process?  Well, for two reasons.  One, some images do look better without texture.  For instance, a back lit image where most of the background is blown out would not benefit much from any texture.  You really need something in the image for the texture overlay to “cling” to.  Two, it takes quite a bit of time to do this properly to an image.  It’s a lot of little tweaks and brushing to get it right.  So worth the finished product though in my opinion!  (textures from Flourish)

My sweet girl… she has turned into quite the chatter box!  I love her little Shay-isms though… those little things she says that make Shay who she is.  Sometimes I think she’s a 30 year old in a 3 year olds body.  Not that she doesn’t have her share of 3 year old moments, but she comes up with things that I didn’t even think a three year old would really grasp.  My little smarty pants

Does this look like mirror images to you?  We are pretty certain our boys are fraternal, but they sure do look a lot alike sometimes!  Their hair is finally growing back out from their summer “Daddy” hair cut (AKA shaved heads).  Now they are officially rocking the bed head look!

Now, I have way more photos of my girl from this little shoot because she will work with me a bit more than the boys.  With the boys, it’s a lot of chasing and hoping I get in front of them and nail my focus before they go storming past me!

Chase slowed down for just a second to let me snap this one…

Hopefully I’ll get one more little session in with my three kiddos before Christmas!