Looks like I'm a proud parent...

Yesterday, I went out to coffee with a friend from high school whom I hadn't seen in a long time. So long, that I hadn't yet met her 9 month old daughter, Zoey. As we sipped our drinks and gushed over how adorable Zoey is(oh and she really is the cutest thing EVER), we began talking about how busy we both are. As I told her about everything I do and she talked about all of the responsibilities of being a new mommy, I came to a conclusion....starting a business is a lot like having a baby.

Here are the reasons I found that a new business is similar to a baby....

1. It takes up A LOT of your time.
2. It takes up A LOT of your money.
3. You need to raise it and care for it.
4. It starts to be all people talk to you about. (This is an interesting one...have you ever noticed right after someone has a child, their friends and family being to ask more and more about the child and less and less about the parent? Well out of boredom I was browsing through my wall posts on my personal facebook page and I noticed that about 80% of my posts were photography related. Keep in mind this is my PERSONAL page, not my business page. I guess my friends are forgetting that I still exist without a camera in my hand. Thanks guys...Just Kidding! I love when you guys ask me about my "bundle of joy" :)
5. The more time and dedication you put into it, the better it "grows up" to be.
6. It can bring a lot of happiness but can sometimes cause you trouble too!

So can you see what I mean? When I started my business I guess I didn't realize what I was bringing into this world! I give MAJOR props to all of you business mommies and daddies who have human children as well. I don't know how you do it, but you're awesome!

Keep an eye on my blog if you wish to watch as my "little one" grows and matures with every passing day. Hahahhaha...

I will leave you with this picture that I quickly snapped of Zoey while she listened in on me and her mommy's conversation :)

Cynthia&Aaron: Married

Last weekend I packed my bags and drove to Bullhead, Arizona to shoot Cynthia and Aaron's wedding. I was so happy to be a part of their big day, and along with my assistant/boyfriend, Andrew and my second shooter, Malerie, I knew we would be unstoppable! It was a great day for a wedding, without a cloud in the sky and enough breeze to keep it from getting too hot! Keep scrolling down to see how I tell their story through my lens :)











There's a story behind this next image and why it is remarkable....What you see here is Cynthia's Maid of Honor doing Cynthia's make-up and a bridesmaid sewing the MOH into her dress. The zipper on her dress split right before it was time to walk down the aisle(what's up with you bridal gown manufacturers? this isn't the first wedding I've seen this at!). These girls are so awesome that they found an efficient system to getting it all fixed at once...and the photo explains it all. Everyone walked down the aisle, fully clothed, fully made-up and STUNNING. How cool are they? :)


What was so amazing is how calm and composed Cynthia remained throughout it all. Through every inevitable wedding day malfunction she had a smile on here face and a worry-free attitude. She didn't forget what the day was really about....to celebrate her love for Aaron and become his wife!










Just look at the two of them...they go together so naturally. I LOVE IT!


That veil blowing in the wind and surrounding her? Quite luscious.


I love the laughter in this one...


And the passion in this one....




Everyone was partyin' at the reception :)






Congratulations! I wish you both the best for the future. Not that you'll need my good wishes, you two are already good to go :)

Stephanie: "Bridal"

This is Stephanie. My long time friend and also my experimental model. Ever since I started pursuing photography, she was always my girl to call when I wanted to get out and shoot and didn't have any "real" shoots lined up. If you wanna be technical, she was the very first person I ever took pictures of with an SLR camera :) Awwww Steph....If you are wondering why bridal is in quotes, it is because Stephanie really isn't a bride yet, this was just another of our many spur of the moment shoots. After throwing on the dress her sister got married in, tracking down a veil, and very quickly getting her hair and makeup done by yours truly(more like SUPER RUSH in the race to beat the quickly setting sun), we headed out to the dusty ol' Victorville desert and got the shots you see below :)

Marybeth and Dustin: Engaged.

I was so excited for this engagement session for many reasons. First, because Marybeth and Dustin chose the location themselves and I knew it was going to really bring them out to their full potential. Second, because believe it or not I had NEVER been to the beautiful Crestline mountains that are just a short 30 min drive from where I live and have pretty much lived my entire life thus far! I never knew what was hiding back there! The location where we shot is known for a perfectly shaped heart "bath" formed from years and years of water wearing away at the rock. It was such a wonderful secluded spot for a photoshoot and also a favorite hiking location of D&M(I'm just going to refer to Dustin and Marybeth as D&M, quicker to type and pretty cool sounding I think!). D&M were such troopers and went along with my every wish without the teeniest complaint. And did I mention that we got our exercise?? For some real entertainment, maybe later on I will show you the photos snapped by my assistant of me scaling rocks and crossing creeks trying to keep up with pro hikers D&M. Anyways, I had a blast working with D&M and I am so excited to shoot their wedding in August. Here are a few of my favorites of the day :)

Here is the famous heart! D&M said they had never seen it filled with flowers like this, guess I bring all the good luck with me ;)












I kept saying how cool it would be to have a ceremony out there and towards the end of the session, Dustin spotted the perfect wedding arch :)

Pleasant Surprise.

I'll be the first to admit, I've been caught up lately. Caught up in a world where I work 14 hours a day(come on guys i'm not being literal)... working on my website, finishing up school work, editing photos, responding to emails...and alot of time just procrastinating.(That's why it takes me 14 hours! haha). Fortunately I'm finally getting back on track and my to do list has shrunk immensely! In these busy times I almost completely forgot that several weeks back I entered some of my photos in our county fair. Today, I was reminded that this is the last weekend of the fair, and of course I had to get down there immediately and check it all out! Completely not expecting ANY recognition and just excited to see my photos displayed, I was floored when I discovered one of my entries received First Place, Best of Class, and Best of Division. I abruptly did a victory dance and then took out my phone and snapped the photo you see below :) I am so honored and without saying more, these 3 ribbons made my day...scratch that...my MONTH. :)

Sam and Jay: Married!

When my friend, Shannon Morse, asked me if I would like to fly to Napa Valley to shoot a wedding with her, I was MORE than happy to accept. Being my first trip to Napa(or Northen California for that matter), I was astounded by the beauty of it all. To add to the absolute perfection of the day, the weather was amazing and Jay and Samantha are one the the most adorable couples I've EVER laid eyes on. They are one of those couples that makes it really hard to put your camera away...luckily I didn't have to!
It took me forever to select my favorites, but here are the 13 photos I was able to narrow it down to. Be sure to stop by Shannon's blog and see the day through her eyes :)



Samantha said she's a big fan of America's Next Top Model. Looks to me like she should be on it!




The ceremony and reception both took place at Brix Restaurant in Napa California...and let me tell you, the location options for photos were UNREAL. Railroad tracks and wooden fences just a few steps away? Count me in.






Definitely my favorite shot of the day...






This is Sam and her father right after he gave a very emotional speech that had the whole room in tears.




First dance as husband and wife :)


Jay putting some crazy dance moves on Sam and cracking her up!

A day of firsts!

I am currently blogging from Dixon, a town in Northern California, and home of my good friend and phenomenal photographer Shannon Morse. I am so excited for tomorow(hmm it's 1am so technically TODAY!), because it is a big day for me..a day of many firsts!! Tomorow(Today?), Shannon and I will be shooting a wedding in Napa Valley, CA :) Along with my usual pre-wedding excitement/jitters, I am feeling a whole new set of emotions that represent me stepping out into a whole new branch of my life and business. Here are some of the very exciting firsts that this wedding is bringing for me:

-First post-internship wedding!
So excited to put into practice all of the wonderful things I learned from Sarah during my time in Nashville.

-First wedding far enough to travel on a plane to.
I will hopefully have many more of these soon, but this is the first wedding I've done that required a visit to my good 'ol friends SouthWest Airlines...

-First wedding with my Canon 5D Mark II.
Just purchased this lil baby a week ago and am so excited to put some miles on it! With the major upgrades I've made in my equipment, I am veryyy excited to give it a go!

-First of many weddings Shannon and I will be shooting together.
She will be coming out for one of my weddings in July, then later in the year I will be back here...and back and forth we will go :)

-And can I get a drumroll?.......First wedding with....CLOUD SHOES!!!
Well...to make a long story short, I have done FAR too much shooting in uncomfortable shoes that kill me. Enough was enough, Shannon and I took a trip down to Payless shoe store looking for a remedy. After 20 minutes of searching, I found them.... The word "comfort" on the box caught my eye and after slipping one foot in, I was SOLD. Cinderella and her glass slippers were put to shame by this match. After trying them on, Shannon was making a purchase also. We like to call them cloud shoes, because the idea of walking on a million clouds doesn't even begin to cover the way these feel! For once, comfort conquered fashion.

I am so ready to take on this wedding tomorow and am confident we will ROCK it! Keep an eye out for the post which will be up very quickly!
I'll leave with a few photos from the night...3 images of wedding preparation :)

The Cloud Shoes! You gotta believe me, the unbelievable comfort makes up for every bit of "un-cuteness". Comfortably Unfashionable....Better Than Barefoot....


Memory cards formatted....CHECK :)


Charging batteries...cleaning lenses...making lists...flipping through bridal magazines...