So today could have been the most glorious day of the year….The weather was perfect!
Every part of the day seemed to float smoothly….
The children were awesome…..(to a point let’s not be crazy)
Dinner was fabulous if I do say so myself….
So I couldn’t end my day any better than to spend it with this beautiful couple…
Heather’s eyes actually sparkled…
It was so much fun to be with a couple that love each other…
Everyday should be like this one….
Tyler is the best…He has gorgeous blue eyes and loves his momma! It of course was cold today! It is just my luck either raining or cold. I just want there to be a day where the sun is shining and everything is warm. But Tyler is a trooper and we made it work. I am sure it must be a hard time for parents when their kids are graduating and going off on their own. But I think that is why I like taking senior pictures so much. It is like you can look at these pictures and see the man he has turned into and the man who he is going to become. This time in their life is such a milestone. All the possibilities….to be able to start and do
ANYTHING!!
I told Tyler to casually lean up against the wall and this is what he came up with…I asked, “is that how you lean against a wall when you are hanging out with friends?” Then he had to laugh at himself…when he realized what he was doing…But I LOVE this laugh so the picture stays!
I thought it would be a little more dramatic to add a little off camera flash. This is a guy and they don’t always like glamour shots…
This is Tyler’s momma and she is adorable and you could tell they have a wonderful relationship. She was the first one to jump down the alleyway into a pit of trash, no hesitation…that is the kind of momma that I like. Of course when Courtney jumped onto that same pile of trash a cat jumped out and nearly caused Courtney to pee on herself! Always an adventure…
by jessica
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So this is my second wedding this year that I have shot in the pouring rain. I have had to become pretty creative with finding ways to shoot pictures. Mostly it means my assistants getting completely wet as they hold umbrellas so that I can step into the rain and keep the bride and groom dry by putting them in whatever overhangs I can find. It keeps it interesting! This wedding took place in LaFayette, Indiana and was fun the whole day!
Will and Jennifer share a wonderful connection and their family and friends were so happy for the both of them….Smiles all day long from everyone. The reception was held at this beautiful building full of character.
The bride had a way about her….She is beautiful…
I love this second photo…who says a blurry photo is a bad one….so angelic like to me.
So this is where we took pictures in an open doorway because the church had no natural light…I stood in the rain and let the light flood in on their faces…Nothing is more perfect than natural light…I will get it from where ever I can. Jennifer needed no help she was flawless.
Then there came Will….nervous but willing to do things I asked…he kept saying he couldn’t wait to see how beautiful Jennifer was.
The church was gorgeous!
Then off to take pictures while the rain stopped!
Then it got silly because I asked them to touch noses and Will actually used his finger to touch her nose he had no idea what I meant but was willing to do what I instructed…touch her nose! I guess I need to be more specific!
The reception was fabulous…live swing band and all!
Just so much fun! I am thinking live band for my 20th wedding anniversary! I loved every moment of the day…
by jessica
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So it was pouring down rain again! It seems like every time I go out to take pictures it rains like crazy….it is beautiful and hot all week and then I take my camera out and there it goes. The rain didn’t stop us today though we took pictures anyway. I will have to say that I enjoyed myself so much. I have taken pictures of Lindsay before and I have always loved it. She has such character and spunk and truly has a magical smile. So now I get to take pictures of her and Jay walking down the aisle and getting married. Needless to say that I am completely stoked! If a 40 year old can say the word stoked without her 15 year old daughter rolling her eyes!
So of course in the winter I do not shoot as much. I take a break and gather my thoughts. I go back and forth between wether being a photographer fits into the way I want to be a mother and a wife. Somedays it doesn’t when I am gone for the weekend or stay up late editing. Somedays I want to throw in the towel and say that I am done. And being a wedding photographer is even a harder decision because there is a lot of stress involved with that.
I look around and see these amazing moms making healthy dinners and having family nights and exercising. I find it hard to fit those things in my schedule. We eat out more than we should. I feel guilty sometimes so I buy more things than I should. I feel like somedays I am running everywhere and can’t get anything done. But I just can’t get photography out of my mind. I try to push it aside and everywhere I go I dream about how I would take that picture or how I would frame it so it would tell a story. So I can’t stop. So my purpose in life right now is to find balance. How to wake up and get things done and set aside time to take pictures. But for someone who likes chaos the structure of that almost drives me crazy.
But today when I was out….I promised myself at every shoot that I will remember my own voice and take pictures that move me. So in the midst of my own balancing act I find the easiest thing to do is to relax and listen to myself and do the best I can everyday and in the end it will all work out and I will live one big full life!
So here is Jay and Lindsay…..they are getting married in June and I am so lucky to be a part of their day!
We started at Blackbird cafe in downtown Valparaiso! I love the food there and the atmosphere is amazing….
Then by the time we went outside the rain magically stopped and we had such a beautiful afternoon. These two have real chemistry and they laugh and smile at each other a lot! Just so much fun to be around!
by jessica
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What was life like before I started to take pictures. I don’t even remember. I don’t remember what I did on a daily basis when I was a complete stay at home mom. My mind does not have enough memory cards for me to remember what I filled my time with. I know I loved being home but as my days are so full now I wonder sometimes what I did with my time. I have to remind myself that I had four small children and that is what kept my days full. I am still at home for the most part but my mind these days is filled to the brim with so many things. It is hard to remember and hard to stay focused on that life changes and it does not always mean for the worse.
So for the past month I have been traveling around. I first started off visiting my friend Kim in Texas. Then I went to WPPI in Vegas. Then I went to Detroit to tag along with my friend Kim and take a couple of pictures at a wedding she was shooting. Then I traveled to Los Angeles, California to second shoot a wedding with my friend Torrie! So I thought I knew who I was and who I wanted to be and every place I have been in the last two months has taught me that I have a lot of growing to do as a person and a friend and also as a photographer.
The beauty of it is….I get to be around a lot of amazing women that I get to call my friends. I learn from them all the time about photography and how to be a good and strong person. And because I have not been the main shooter I have had the opportunity to take a back seat and take pictures for fun. I get to look around again and look through my lens. It has been a lot of fun. I have gained such a new appreciation for my 70-200 mm lens where I can stand back and take a look around and take pictures that I have not taken in such a long time. I had a hard time being away from my family but it also renewed my love for them and for photography again.
Here are some of the images that I got to take. I really do love being a second shooter. I feel more relaxed and get to enjoy what is going on around me. One of the wedding that I got to be a part of was this one in California where you would think there would be all rain and sunshine but it was not the case. This is how we started out the morning.
So then like I said I looked around for a while and took some pictures just because I could!
Then I got to take some pictures of some beautiful brides and grooms and two very special weddings!
Here is the second one..so different and both so beautiful!
I cannot wait for the upcoming year…I have a a lot of weddings to be able to share and a lot of families and high school seniors to photograph and I am ready. I feel centered again. I feel ready to create!
by jessica
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by jessica
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