I am currently in Jamaica!!! Deirdre and I are here shooting a wedding for one of my fabulous clients. I will be returning all emails and phone calls April 22nd. Thanks so much for understanding!!
IN LOVE with these photos of Fallon. Why? Because she completely rocked it. You’d never know by looking at these pictures, but she didn’t feel well at all. She was such a trooper though and I just love what I got. We did the shoot at her grandfather’s home in Kentwood, Louisiana. (Britney Spears’ hometown.) It was SUCH a gorgeous day. The temperature was perfect, a slight breeze was in the air and not a cloud in the sky. I couldn’t have asked for better weather.
Fallon is such a beautiful girl obviously. But her inner beauty is what I truly love. She is truly one of the sweetest and kindest people I have met. I am so so honored to be her photographer.
Fallon’s rockin’ hair and makeup was done by the best hair/makeup stylist in the world: Courtney Davis!! Brides, hire her. She is seriously the best I have ever seen personally. And it doesn’t hurt she has a cool name. ; ) kikisconsulting@gmail.com
Meet Nate and Cara — two of my lovely clients getting married this coming fall. They have been dating for almost 7 years now and I know they are both thrilled beyond words to be tying the knot soon. These two hardworking doctors met in medical school and the rest, as you know… is history. ; ) We decided to shoot their engagement photos at Nate’s parent’s house in the country… which I LOVED and thought was so very fitting and meaningful to them. I absolutely love when we can incorporate a location that is special into a photoshoot. I just adore how the photos turned out — please enjoy!
Cara & Nate, you are both so amazing and lovely. CAN-NOT wait for the wedding!! EEK! Thank you for EVERYTHING!!! xo
Hair/Makeup by the AHmazing Courtney Davis of Kiki’s Consulting.
It was a very happy day in New Orleans. Jennifer and David were both extremely relaxed and soaking in the moments of what would be a day they would remember forever. Jennifer spent time with her bridesmaids while David and his groomsmen hung out, sharing several laughs together. David has a really hilarious personality which I think matches Jennifer’s laid back personality perfectly. They were both so easy to work with and the entire day was spent as a true celebration of two people who so obviously adore one another. I was thrilled to be a part of it!!
Jennifer & David, you are both amazing!!! Thank you so much for welcoming Deirdre and I into your celebration and allowing us to capture such a wonderful day. I enjoyed every moment and I hope you cherish one another forever. XOXO!
Let’s start this post off right with a faaaabulous pair of Louboutin’s. Jennifer is definitely a woman of fashion.
Jennifer’s Vera Wang lace wedding dress was gorg.
LOVE this shot Deirdre captured of Jennifer with her stepfather as she arrived to the church.
And this one!! So beautiful of her and her mother getting ready to make their way down the aisle.
The traditional catholic ceremony was beautiful.
Married!!
I just love the constant excitement Jennifer and David shared all day from this moment on.
After we arrived to the New Orleans Museum of Art, we took a few more photos while there was still some light left.
“I don’t know what to do with my hands!”
Their wedding cakes were to die for!!
By far one of the coolest groom’s cakes I have ever seen. It was HUGE. The picture doesn’t really portray just how huge it was.
An ice sculpture bar!? YES PLEASE.
SUSHI!?! Another YES PLEASE!
Mojeaux performed and as always, delivered an amazing experience with the music.
David dancing with his sweet mother!
I LOVED Jennifer’s stepfather. He had SO much character and was just a riot to watch on the dance floor.
This couple is SO into each other — and I LOVE LOVE LOVE THAT.
They truly knew how to have fun but not forget what this day really meant.
In New Orleans there is a tradition called the “Second Line” where the bride and groom will parade around the room while the guests follow behind as they make their way to exit. This is always a really fun moment and great way to interact with all the guests. By this point Jennifer had changed into her AMAZING Romona Keveza dress.
The End to a perfect night!!!
So… this post is about to get real personal. This is something I have wanted to share for a long time, but as we all know… it can be very difficult to open up and share something that is personal and makes you feel vulnerable. I do however feel like if there is anywhere I can share my thoughts, it’s here on my blog. After all, that is what a blog is for right? If you’re here to look for pretty pictures, then I would advise you to skip over this post to the next one. But if you want to read something that is 100% real, from a normal girl who has normal feelings, then keep reading.
As you may already know, I am a dreamer and an extremely hopeful and positive person. The way I portray myself through different means of social media, are truly, the real me. You can ask any of my closest friends and family… I am a very happy person, absolutely love life and always see it through rose-colored glasses. I absolutely feel this way almost all of the time. But there are definitely days every now and then where I might feel discouraged or down about something. See, the truth is… there have been many things that have happened in my life that have hurt me so deeply. Torn me to pieces. Things that have happened that have made me question EVERYTHING. Things that have made me want to completely give up on it all. Things I would never wish upon anyone. And things that could have very easily turned me into a cold, unhappy, bitter and negative person. My life has been far from perfect and I have definitely had my share of pain in life. Through it all though, I was determined to never let anything or anyone change the hope I have always held in my heart. I refused to let bad things define me. It was so hard at times, and I mean hard. The temptation of giving up and becoming unattached, and turned off by the world, was great at many times in my life. But the saying, “what doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger” couldn’t be more true. I chose to fight through the pain I have suffered and it truly made me so much better and so much stronger. When I finally came out on the other side of my “dark time”, I was SO grateful that God allowed me to go through the pain, because I could see such a difference in myself. I came out an even more hopeful and more positive person than ever before and it has only continued to grow ever since. I really believe that God allows us to go through things sometimes that we don’t understand so that he can mold us into the person he created us to be. I believe that with all of my heart. I know that it’s so easy to question and say “Why me!?” because trust me, I have definitely had my times of asking that question. I have for sure had weak moments of doubt and negativity. Things will still happen from time to time that test my strength and hope. I don’t ever expect life to be perfect and I know it never will be… but I am so determined that no matter what comes my way, no matter what hurt is thrown into my life, I will never give up on myself, my dreams and my hopes.
As I grow older, I realize more and more that EVERYONE is hurting or has hurt at some point in their life. Pain is all around us. And I guess the reason I am writing this post is to let you know that there is always hope. There is always a rainbow after the storm. And there is always a reason to NEVER quit… never give up. And that you should never ever let anything or anyone steal your hope or your joy in life. We only get one life to live and I am so determined that mine will be a happy one no matter what comes my way. We are all going to have days sometimes that we may feel hopeless, but just never stop getting up after you have fallen. Never quit no matter how much it hurts. Never stop believing in GOOD and in GOD. He has truly taught me SO SO much through the hardest times in my life but only because I let Him. Yeah sure, I may have fought it from time to time (and still do sometimes!!), but ultimately I know that He is taking care of me. He has never let me down and He has never stopped loving me. He is the true reason I am SO happy and so full of hope and love. In my mind and heart, I cannot imagine living any other way. Even when things seem gray, I know that deep in my heart the best is still yet to come.
I’ve used this quote before in a past post, but I think it’s completely appropriate to post again:
I encourage you that if you are suffering pain… face it, BE INSPIRED by it… and fly high.
I want to share with you a song that inspires the very core of who I am. It’s from my favorite band, Red. I have put the lyrics below and also placed a video from YouTube so you can listen to it. (download the song on itunes to hear a better version though!) Whenever I do feel discouraged or am needing some inspiration, I listen to this song and it brings me right back to where I know I need to be. It’s called The Best is Yet to Come and I believe every bit of that. I hope it inspires you as much as has for me.
RED – THE BEST IS YET TO COME
Afraid it won’t come round again
Afraid to move on
Wishing I could go back when
Everything was easier and made for me
Wanting all we left behind
Like its the answer
An hour glass we can’t rewind
Holding back the life that I’ve been at for so long
Can I find my way to you
And After all that we’ve been through
And after all we left in pieces
I still believe our lives have just begun
Cause now the past can be outrun
And I know you are the reason
I still believe the best is yet to come
A Photograph’s still in your hands
Afraid to let it go
The minutes rain like grains of sand
And time is just a war that’s stealing dreams from within
So come and take them back again
And After all that we’ve been through
And after all we left in pieces
I still believe our lives have just begun
Cause now the past can be outrun
And I know you are the reason
I still believe the best is yet to come
I won’t turn around
Let it all slip away
I’m never backing down
Cause tomorrow’s a new day
And everything can change
And After all that we’ve been through
And after all we left in pieces
I still believe our lives have just begun
Cause now the past can be outrun
And I know you are the reason
I still believe the best is yet to come
It was one of the cloudiest days I have seen… I was pretty certain we wouldn’t be getting any sun for the shoot. But in all amazement, the clouds magically faded away as soon as we started shooting! I was definitely happy about that and I’m pretty sure Tosha and Brad were too!! These two who fell for each other after being best man/maid of honor in a mutual friend’s wedding, are so sweet and perfect for each other! They are so easy to work with and I could feel that they completely trusted me throughout the shoot – which is always so great and makes my job so much easier. We had a great time walking around and capturing the beauty between this amazing and kind couple. I am so honored to be a part of their lives and cannot wait to get to know them more and more.
Tosha & Brad — ahhh, thank you thank you!!! Tosha you’re so sweet — everything you say means so much! I appreciate your kindness so much. And Brad, I am so glad you had a good time during the shoot!! Thank you both for everything!! xo
Dear Photographers:
This blog post is LONG overdue. Better late than never though. Let me start by saying, in the most humblest of ways, that I am truly blown away and amazed by the comments, emails, tweets, messages I receive on a daily basis from photographers all over the world. When I decided to go into business for myself a couple of years ago, I never in a million years imagined I would ever have “fans” of my photography. Especially from all ends of the planet! Just a couple of months ago I received an email from a photographer in The Netherlands telling me how I helped inspire her to open a boudoir studio. Emails like that just blow my mind!! It’s truly my heart’s desire to inspire people all over the world, but when I receive a message like that, the reality that it’s truly happening touches my heart on a whole ‘nother level. It is so EXTREMELY flattering that people in the same industry as me would not only take the time to get in touch with me, but would have any desire to want to learn from me in any way. I’m just a girl who LOVES being a photographer and LOVES her clients to pieces. I found my passion for this career many years (13 to be exact) ago but it was only in the last couple of years of being in business for myself that I have truly been able to “find myself” as an artist and really create my own personal signature look and style that comes from deep within my heart. I in no way think I have arrived to where I want to be as business owner and photographer. My goals right now are to completely focus 100% on my business and clients. I am an extremely hard worker and very dedicated to my passion of this form of art. I wake up every day, thank God for blessing me with this talent and for sending me wonderful clients who love my work, and then I spend the rest of the day continuing to build my business to grow to where I want it to be.
When I started my business a little over 2 years ago, I was working around the clock 24/7 to get it off the ground. I knew if I was going to make a successful career with my talent I was going to have to work really, really hard. I believe God gives us gifts to use, but it’s up to us to meet him halfway with them. While I believe with all of my heart that God has given me so much favor and blessed me with incredible dreams, talents and passions… I know that nothing has been handed over to me easily. Everything I have today is because I worked very, very hard to get it. My motto in life, “Live the Dream” is what I preach and believe to the very core of who I am. I have proven to myself and others over and over again that you really can do ANYTHING you want and achieve any goals you set for yourself. I tweeted in the past “life will give you exactly what you ask for” and I really believe that. If you ask for MORE, you will get MORE.
Since I have started my own business, I get emailed questions quite often from photographers about different aspects of my business. For both my wedding and boudoir brands. While I wish I had the time to email everyone back, the honest truth is I don’t. I feel so awful not being able to respond to the emails I receive from photographers. : ( But if I spent time responding to photographers, my clients and business would suffer greatly. I am being completely honest when I say, my clients will always come first. They are the reason I have a business in the first place, and they are the reason my business continues to grow successfully providing me with a roof over my head.
I most commonly get asked the best advice I can give to a photographer who is just getting started in the industry. I am not sure that there is an answer that would be true to all new photographers, but I am willing to share a quick version of my personal story of how I got to where I am today. I got my first camera when I was 15 years old. (I am 28 now.) It was a film Nikon camera that I was obsessed with. I fell in love with the hobby of photography and pretty much just shot whatever was in front of me. I am the oldest of 4 siblings so my 3 younger kin became instant models in my eyes. ; ) I practiced practiced practiced. I did this for 3 years and then when I was 18 I got a job working for another photographer. During this time I learned a lot about the business side of things while continually honing my skills and talent as a photographer. It honestly wasn’t until I began my own company that I really was able to “dive into” my true talent and gifts as a photographer. It took many years of practicing and experience to get where I am today. But I can honestly say I learned almost everything I know from experience. So what is the best advice I can give you? PRACTICE. I recommend if you are just starting out to do it as a hobby for the very minimum of a year until you really get a lot of experience under your belt. I’ve seen so many people start charging clients too soon, before they are really ready and experienced, and it ends up causing so many problems for both the client and photographers. You need time to learn and grow… you need time to find out if you have the gift… because not everyone does. Anyone can buy a camera, but that does not mean everyone has the “gift” of being a true artist. Also, some may have the gift of being a true artist, but might not necessarily have the gift of running a business. Both things go hand in hand in achieving a successful photography business. Not only must you be good at photography, but you must know how to make wise business decisions. So the key to learning whether or not you are gifted as a photographer and a wise business owner boils down to PRACTICE and EXPERIENCE. Being a photographer is hard work. I know that I, along with others, make it look super fun. But at the end of the day, it’s still hard work… just like ANY successful business. The reason I am where I am today as a photographer, is because I practiced for many many years and I worked super hard to get to this place. Nothing has come easy for me… determination, motivation and a GREAT attitude go a long, long way. If you want to be a success in anything you do, those 3 little things are KEY.
The other thing I advise is once you have decided you indeed want to be a full time photographer, and you know you have what it takes… choose what you want to shoot and stick to that. Meaning if you love photographing children, specialize in that and rock it out. I find too many photographers try to shoot it ALL and in the end their business suffers greatly for it because they are fragmenting their style to suite every different kind of photography there is. If a painter is good at painting landscapes he will specialize in that and not portraits. Sure he can paint a portrait but he true “gift” shows when he paints what he is best at.
I get asked to teach workshops on a regular basis. While this may be an option in the future, it is not in my heart right now. God did not give me the gift of teaching. No… I mean it. Ask anyone who knows me!! I am a horrible teacher and I will tell you why. I was homeschooled my whole life. Yep, it’s true. The particular curriculum my mother chose to school my siblings and I with was VERY self-taught oriented. Because of this, I learned from the time I could read and on to be very self-dependent. Almost everything I know I taught myself. Photography, web design, graphic design, HTML, video editing, Photoshop, whatever.. you name it, I probably taught myself. I honestly do better teaching myself things than being taught by someone else. This is the reason I did not go to college. It was never in the cards for me. But the downfall to all of this is that I am not gifted when it comes to teaching someone else because I naturally expect everyone else to be able to learn something on their own or pick up something quickly. I know that most people do not operate like that, but even if I tell myself that, doesn’t magically make me a good teacher. Because of the fact that I realize I still have a long ways to go when it comes to this area in my life, I do not feel prepared to be able to teach others at this time. Again, not saying that I will never teach… but it’s just not the right time for that quite yet. Not to mention I still feel that even I have so much to learn before I can teach someone else anything at all.
The good news is there ARE several photographers out there who are INCREDIBLE and ARE naturally gifted when it comes to teaching. There are many amazing photographers who thrive off of teaching other photographers their tricks of the trade. I encourage you to find the truly talented photographers who have been doing this for a while, that are teaching workshops, and attend them. I am certain you will learn a lot. When and if I decide to start teaching workshops, you’ll be the first to know. ; )
I encourage you, no matter what career choice you make, to do it with excellence. Find what you are good at, what makes you happy and ROCK IT OUT with all of your heart. And again, thank you to every single one of you who have ever believed in me, sent me a kind email or message or left me a comment. I sincerely appreciate every single one more than you could ever possibly know. Keep living the dream.
xoxo
I leave you with this shot taken by me at age 15… of my little baby brother Stephen. He is still THAT cute. ; )
