by Shelly | Oct 2, 2011 | engagement, relationship |
Just yesterday I photographed the super scrumptious, gorgeous, and oh-so-fun wedding for Aubrey and Michael. Getting to know them over the last few months has been a wonderful treat, as I’ve come to absolutely adore their quirky dry sense of humor and the special love language that they share with each other.
After their engagement session earlier this year, they chose to make their album into a guest registry book to collect signatures and sentiments from the guests at their wedding.
Just as we rarely, if ever, share bridal portraits before the wedding, I didn’t want to spoil any surprises they might have in store by posting the album before they shared it with their guests.
So today, here is the engagement album and guest book for the brand new Mr. and Mrs. Skinner!
For their engagement photographs, Aubrey and Michael participated in a Beloved Experience Session. Beloved, developed by Canadian photographer Jesh De Rox, utilizes a collection of exercises that Jesh calls experiential invitations. These invitations lead the couple through a variety of emotions, feelings, and expressions. During a Beloved photography session, we play games, sing and dance, tell secrets and stories, share hopes and dreams. When I get to host one of these amazing events, I feel very privileged to document such precious and heartfelt moments and to create images that will serve as a love- legacy for years and years to come.
This particular album needed lots of open space for writing, so we left wide margins and open space on several of the pages.
Congratulations and best wishes to you Aubrey and Michael. I look forward to seeing you again very soon to relive your wedding .
Michi and I started sorting through the images today, and all I can say is WOW — WOW — WOW!
by Shelly | Sep 28, 2011 | baby, family, SPCcreative |
Although Haley’s grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and neighbors probably already know that she has been born, it’s never “official” until the birth announcement arrives in the mail.
My good friend, the Fed-Ex driver, stopped by this morning with these announcements that I custom-designed after her photography session, and I could hardly get them opened fast enough.
She’s a yummy little bundle of love. See for yourself!
When I found out that I was going to get to photograph Tracy and Ryan’s new baby, I could hardly wait, but I had to. See, my family was leaving on vacation just a few days after she was born, and we simply couldn’t squeeze in an appointment before we left. So, Miss Haley was just over 3 weeks old when she came for her session. STILL, it was her first outing, and she and her mommy handled it like true pros.
I look forward to watching this little beauty (and her adorable big sister) grow up. Here are a few more images from our session.
Yeah, I think Miss Haley has STAR qualities, ANGEL qualities, and most definitely SQUEEZABLE qualities !
by Shelly | Aug 17, 2011 | senior portraits, SPCcreative, women |
There’s nothing like a gal with the guts to make a fun and funky statement with her appearance, even if only for a little while.
Like most of us, Stefanie had thought it might be a kick to do something totally out of character and dye her hair fuchsia and teal.
UNLIKE most of us, though, she jumped at the chance to actually DO it just before leaving for her summer vacation.
We managed to sneak a mini-portrait session in somewhere between her morning at the beach and a major exam, and I’m oh-so- glad we did.
Isn’t she adorable?
For her college classes just ahead, Stefanie will likely sport a somewhat more conservative look
. . . unless, of course, she has decided that she likes this look as much as I do.
Brilliant colors ROCK!
by Shelly | Jul 30, 2011 | senior portraits, SPCcreative |
So . . . I just delivered another senior album to a recent graduate and his mom.
My job has lots of favorite parts, but one of the biggest rushes EVER is the delivery process. I get downright giddy to watch a mom beam and actually shout with joy when she puts her hands for the first time on the canvas wall portraits of her practically grown child. Seeing the kids themselves beam as they look over mom’s shoulder while she exclaims every single time she slowly turns the pages of the new shiny album . . . well,
WOW! THIS, my friends, is why I love doing what I do!
Senior portraits are a HUGE tradition in this part of the country. For most kids, this is the last opportunity they’ll have to be photographed professionally until (and if) they choose to get married. That’s why we take the time to explore the their personalities and make a fun-filled event out of their photo sessions. Even the boys who don’t usually start out too excited about “having pictures made” all admit — out loud no less — that they actually had a great time during their session.
Afterwards, we have tons of great images. Selecting just a few is oh-so-hard, but I have some great solutions. The absolute favorites become canvases and wrap prints for the wall, they go into custom graduation announcements, and of course gifts for grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings. Everyone loves tons of different wallet prints for passing out to friends. AND there’s nothing more exhilarating than taking the rest of our images, the ones that make us smile, the ones that make us laugh, the ones that make our eyes mist up, and compiling them into an heirloom book or album so that we can enjoy them all for YEARS and YEARS to come.
Here are some pages from Michael’s album that I just delivered.
Michael, who is enjoying his summer looked totally different the other day when I delivered his book. He’s fishing a lot, and sporting an oh-so-handsome Hollywood-worthy beard. That’s something you just don’t get by with in high school. He’ll soon be packing his gear and heading off to college, but his parents have some great prints on their walls an an amazing album to look at every time they get a little wistful. The holidays will come soon, and I hope he’ll come by for a visit while he’s home, because MY seniors become MY kids . . . and I get a little wistful too.
by Shelly | Jul 21, 2011 | senior portraits, SPCcreative |
Seems like everybody is dragging a bit in this dreadfully hot and dry summer, and they tend to think that it’s just not a good time to go outside at all, much less schedule outdoor portraits.
Well, I have news for you! My favorite tips for survival are to move slowly, know a good Air Conditioning Repair Guy, keep a big pitcher of iced tea close at hand . . .
and of course, NOTHING beats a little POOL TIME!
Inspired by Macon, GA photographer Lee McDavid who says that a $12 kiddie swimming pool was one of his best investments ever, I started thinking about new ways to keep our summer senior photography sessions super cool. After a visit to the Goodwill store with one of my favorite high school seniors, we hit the pool with prom dresses and cameras in hand.
Sooo much fun! After a little pool and waterfall time, we finished our session by breaking in my brand new bamboo shower wall.
I’m loving my private portrait park just a little bit more every single day.
Our summer may be flying by, but we’ve still got two or three more months of intense heat. We’re onto something very cool over here!
Don’tcha think?
