Rawsii

Babymoon

2010-12-16T12:08:00.001-05:00

The past two weeks have FLOWN by. And now that they have, I feel I must offer all my friends who are soon to be mothers a bit of unsolicited advice: Let's make the babymoon official! When you get married, you take a honeymoon, right? You plan to do only relaxing, fun activities for at least a week, sometimes two and no one begrudges you that time...they wouldn't DARE...so it's completely guilt-free. It's a traditional gesture of good-will offered by society to a new couple. And yet when we have a baby, each and every one of us feels differently about society's expectations of us and how soon we should be getting back to real life. It's undefined, or rather self-defined. When Corban was born, so many people told me "enjoy that baby...they grow up so fast!" But for some reason I still felt guilty sitting around holding him, which jaded what little sitting around I did manage to do. And I believed people when they said I could hold my baby too much. When Jadon was born, I stubbornly held him all I wanted and enjoyed our baby time so much more but my mind was half distracted with returning to work too quickly. This time around I decided there would be no guilt and there would be certainly be no work. Only "play" for 2 solid weeks. The first week was the BEST...just James and the boys pampering us girls. Lots of family snuggles. Seventh heaven! Naps. Movies. Favorite foods. Meals from friends. Photo ops. At the end of week 1 James had to go back to work so week 2 of babymoon was courtesy of my fantastic in-laws. They occupied the boys with fun activities, made meals and did housework while I relaxed. Jeuel and I went out for lunch with some friends. We listened to Christmas music. We napped some more. The first two weeks have been such a healthy time of easing in to life with three kids. As I begin week 3, I don't feel overwhelmed, I feel refreshed. I feel happy and blessed.

Bottom line: Take the two weeks and encourage every new mom you know to do the same! It's ONLY two weeks! In twenty years when you're sitting in the front pew watching that child get married, those two weeks so long ago will seem like one tiny, precious, fleeting moment and you'll be so glad you took it!!

Jeuel Darby Nelson

2010-11-30T17:48:00.000-05:00

Choosing our baby girl's name was difficult. Our naming format is the problem...we make it sooo hard for ourselves: 1) It has to be found in the Bible, but it has to be obscure/unique. 2) It has to have a meaning that applies. 3) We have to LIKE it (sadly this is the hardest!)

SO, when looking through lists of Bible names, we came upon the name Jeuel (pronounced "jewel.") I read the meaning, "God takes away; God heaping up" and I thought WEIRD. Who in the world would name their child something so morbid, contradictory and confusing? I passed it up. But as I flipped through name after name, I started to lose track of which ones I had already ruled out and I came back to Jeuel because I loved the sound of it and the unusual spelling. The second time I read the meaning, I stopped for a moment and a thought occurred to me. It said, "GOD takes away." Of course God permits all things that happen to us whether good or bad, but there are certain things that are actually taken away specifically BY God and undeniably, any action taken by God in our lives would be for our own good. So God taking away would ALWAYS be a GOOD thing. I began to think about things that God was taking away from me right now. He was taking away my business (at least for a while) and the stress and guilt that had come along with working too much. He was taking away a huge burden and distraction in my life and using this baby girl to facilitate that. And although "taking away" and "heaping up" sounded distinctly contradictory, I realized that in the process of all that taking away, He was heaping up joy, comfort, peace, and a new enthusiasm for life and my family. All of a sudden, the name seemed PERFECT. I couldn't imagine naming my daughter anything else. I know that in the future her name will be a reminder of how God worked in our lives during this time, and who knows, maybe it will serve to remind us that when God takes away, it is always, ALWAYS a good thing.

Her middle name was not a tough choice. We've had this name chosen since before we had children at all. We use middle names to honor people who have been very influential in our lives. Of course, we will never have enough children to honor all of them, so we've had to do some doubling up in a "just in case" kind of way. Corban has two middle names after both of his grandfathers. Jadon is named after James (I insisted!). And Jeuel is named for the two saintly women who "rescued" me when I was about 16/17 and gave me a vision of the wife and mother I would strive to be someday: Darlene Sturm and Barbara Ager. Somehow, these two women managed to be absolutely crazy about me, love and adore me, in spite of all the mistakes I made. In their lives, I caught a glimpse of Jesus' love for us in spite of our sin and it filled me with such awe that my understanding of God's love expanded with it. They loved the rebel right out of me and gave, and gave, and gave even though I had nothing to give in return, truly not even the amount of affection they deserved.

When James and I got married, we were living paycheck to paycheck. Both of us working full time just barely paid our rent, utilities, school bills, and covered the never ending car repairs. Two weeks before the wedding, all I had been able to do was purchase my dress, the tux, the invitations, and reserve the church. We were counting on wedding gifts to fund the entire honeymoon. I had resigned myself to the fact that there would be no decorations, no reception, maybe not even flowers, but we'd at least walk out of there married and crazy in love! But Barb and Darlene pulled off a grand finale in those two weeks. Flowers, cake, lights, balloons, food, music, and all the details came together in 14 days out of seemingly nowhere. I was amazed to tears. My wedding wasn't anything like the stunningly gorgeous weddings I see and photograph now every weekend, but it was so beautiful to me.

As we tried to think of the best way to use the two names Darlene and Barbara, it occurred to me to try combining them. As I'm sure you can imagine, this discussion was LOL funny: "darbarb, barbdar, barlene, darbara..." but eventually one of us said "Darby" and I thought it made a really CUTE middle name and was a great combination of the two. And so it stuck. From that point on, we always knew our daughter's middle name would be Darby. We've just been waiting for the right moment to use it. :)

Corban has been trying to help us keep the name a surprise. I reminded him, "Don't forget, it's a secret." He said, "I know, Mom. Besides, I wouldn't tell anyone because they would laugh at it." I was amused and mock offended, "You think people will laugh at our baby's name?" He nodded, "I thought it was silly when you told me. But now I like it. It's pretty cute." :) I told him, "Well, I don't think anyone will laugh. They'll probably think we're a little strange, but once we tell them what her name means, I think everyone will think it's REALLY cool."

And he agreed.

And so I introduce to you, Jeuel Darby Nelson.

A Fond Farewell...

2010-10-10T14:26:00.001-04:00

It is with seriously mixed emotions that I formally close this chapter of my life. It has been such a whirlwind to this point that it feels kind of sudden. But with so much to look forward to and so many blessings to look back on, I can't find any greater emotion than gratitude to express at this time. I feel so cliche saying the same types of things I hear so often from others in this business...things like, "I have the best, most beautiful clients in the world!" and "I couldn't have done it without you!" But the truth is, I truly feel these things to my very core. As I think through each person I've met or each relationship that has grown through photography, I feel exceptionally blessed. I couldn't feel more lucky if I had met a thousand Rock Stars! Each person I've photographed has inspired me so much! And trusted me so much. It's not always easy to let go and see yourself through someone else's eyes, and relax in the process. I feel as if each person who trusts me this much is giving me the greatest compliment I could ever recieve. So many of my clients are now friends...some of which I'm looking forward to spending more time with next year! I can't recall EVER having a "bad" client...we've worked through some tough circumstances, but the people I've been blessed to meet have been INCREDIBLE. This year in particular my jaw has dropped and my heart has swelled because of my clients, students, and colleagues...some have sent me baby gifts, many have gone out of their way to accomodate my pregnancy and closing business, students have been VERY patient with me while I worked through excessive delays, and EVERYONE has made very sure that I know that my presence in the industry will be missed. I feel as if the love I have for all of you is returning to me tenfold. So thank you!!

I want to take a moment to thank a few people who I've never publicly acknowledged in one place before. As I think back to how my interest in photography started and developed, there are people along the way who have marked a distinct change in me. I almost used the analogy of rungs on a ladder, but I don't want to give the impression that I stepped on them or left them behind as I went. :) I feel more like they were each a helium balloon and as I met each one, my journey became lighter and easier.

My parents -- for buying me my first camera and for keeping their promise to develop all the film I could buy, even when it went a bit farther than they expected!

Melita Quance -- for being my willing subject so many times and for making me jealous by taking photography classes in high school! :)

Jennifer Feeney -- for becoming my muse and inspiration in high school and for telling me for the first time that I remember, "You should do this professionally."

Mom and Dad Sturm and Mrs. Ager -- for taking my senior pictures and completely changing my perspective on photography.

Andy and Mickey Sommers -- for loaning me my very first SLR and enthusiastically being some of the first people in my portfolio.

My church family at FBC-- for being my first clients, my biggest fans, and my friends.

Erin Prichard -- for being one of my first photography friends, for 2nd shooting, for equipment sharing, information sharing, and learning together.

Eileen Dimino -- for being the first professional to tell me my work was really GOOD and giving me the confidence to forge ahead. And for introducing me to Josef Samuel.

Jasmine Star -- for teaching about branding in a way that allowed me to move past the confusion and proceed with confidence.

Josef Samuel -- for approaching me with the idea for The X/Stop Project, encouraging me to network more, and for providing a constant source of inspiration and friendly competition. :)

Jerry Ghionis -- for truly transforming the way I see light and the world around me and for teaching me the true keys to success.

Pamela Speck -- for being an oasis in a desert, a moment of clarity, and showing me that God is still working in my life.

Rebecca Lily -- for being my friend the longest, and my fastest learning student EVER, and for being a focused and upbeat 2nd shooter this past year in spite of having so many more important things on her mind.

Jennifer Budzinski -- for being an inspiration in business ownership and management, and for giving me a place to stretch my creativity and display it. For helping me LOOK like the artist I felt like.

Tim Cocanower -- for being truly reliable in an age when reliability is hard to come by. For driving in Chicago. :) For somehow always being one step ahead of me and never once complaining when things went wrong. (and thank you Stephanie for all the time you spent without him after work hours so he could help!!)

Bridget Dix -- for being my right arm, and sometimes my left. For sharing my excitement, for being my favorite model, for saving me from myself sometimes, for putting up with my oddities. For synchronizing your vision with mine and loving it almost as much as I have. You are fantastic and I am going to miss you SO much.

My husband, James Nelson -- for being my hottest model EVER, for always believing I could do anything I set my mind to, for sacrificing so much of yourself on behalf of my dreams, for working SO hard to support me in both my decision to start AND to stop shooting, for always being a reliable and patient father to our children even when you should have been too exhausted to do so, and for loving me in spite of all my craziness.

There are many others to thank, I could go on all day. It's always scary to thank some specifically for fear that I've overlooked someone very important unintentionally. But I think it would be even worse if I let the fear keep me from thanking these people who have influenced me so much. It is because of the generosity of these people that I have been inspired to help others, so if you have been influenced or helped by me in any way, I hope you'll thank these people as well.

Many have expressed concern at how permanent my decision sounds sometimes...am I coming back? When? I have to say, I honestly don't know the answer to either of those. I DO know two things. 1) I need to feel complete freedom from timeframe and obligation. I need a break with no expectations so that I can sort some things out in God's time, under no pressure. 2) If and when I do come back, I want to have the ability to move the business out of our home, for many reasons, one of which is that our family has filled it! There are many factors that will determine if and when this can happen. I have no idea what the personality of our third child will be, how our familiy dynamic will change, if home schooling will be the best option for my children long term. All of these factors can only be determined by time, so there is really no way I can predict a return date right now.

For those of you (some I have already spoken with) who are hoping and praying that I will return in time to shoot your 2012 wedding, I will decide sometime around June of 2011. Until then I will hold your date on my calendar, but I won't sign any contracts as I take my comittment to your wedding VERY seriously. Those interested may continue to inquire about availability as long as you understand that nothing is set in stone or guaranteed without a signed contract and downpayment!

I wish you the very best year (or more!) in my absence...take care and God bless!

Q&A

2010-07-08T10:15:00.001-04:00

Lately I've been getting a lot of questions from the audience and I do try to answer each one of them individually, but they're starting to get past me because it's wedding season and I'm busy and, well, there are just too many of them. So I thought I'd start doing occasional Q&A posts so everyone can find the answers to their questions easily.

The #1 question I hear is (in a nutshell): "I'm just getting started in photography. What equipment do you recommend. I'm on a budget."

A: This is such a hard question to answer. As they say, you get what you pay for. But I think the one thing that people don't realize when they're first starting out (I didn't realize!) is that you can pay $600-$1000 and still not be happy with the quality of your images. It is EXPENSIVE to take good quality images! One would think that several hundred dollars should be enough to take some really great pictures, but alas, it is a drop in the bucket. The second thing people don't realize is the importance of the lenses. I would recommend that you purchase a camera body only and hand-pick your lenses individually. Start with the 50mm f/1.4. The wider aperture is going to allow you to take better indoor pictures and produce that lovely blurred background everyone wants. Then save up money for some lenses that will survive the transition to your next camera body.

Q. What equipment do you use?

A. 5D MkII, 7D (backup), 50mm 1.4, 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8, 16-35 2.8, 15mm fisheye.

Q. What software do you use to post process?

A. Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

Q. What actions/presets do you use?

A. Totally Rad Actions, Kevin Kubota Actions, Rebecca Lily Presets, and Rawsii original presets (not yet available for purchase).

Q. How do you get your images so sharp? What resolution do you post on facebook to make them look so clear?

A. I use one of several sharpening actions. One I made myself, the others I find in the Kubota and TRA action sets. For facebook, I have an action that creates 1200x800 300dpi images, sharpens using unsharp mask, and adds my watermark on them. When I load them to facebook, however, it resizes them to 72dpi so my final images are 720x522 72dpi.

Q. Since you're not teaching for another 18 months, do you have another class you can recommend?

A. They're very few and far between, but I've found another class that offers approximately the same things that I do. Because of the rare find, it appears she is also very busy and has a waiting list. But you can check it out here:

Q. How in the world do I get one of those awesome Rawk Hard t-shirts?!?!?

A. :) DON'T buy them directly from the supplier! You have to order at least 6 and they cost more! Just let us know what size you want and we'll hook you up for only $29!

I can't do a post without a picture! I know I have a lot of blogging to catch up on, but here's a picture from Jesse and Jamie's engagement session. I get to do their wedding this weekend and I'm REALLY excited!!

The Rawk Hard Workshop

2010-06-08T15:42:00.001-04:00

On Friday, June 6th, I held my VERY FIRST workshop. I can't even begin to describe how nervous I was!!! Months of planning and effort had gone into this one single day...I am SO relieved to say that I survived and that it went off quite well!

Our fabulous catering was provided by Thyme of Grace in Mishawaka. I was disappointed I didn't get a picture of breakfast because it was a work of art as well!

To each attendee, we gave a gift box filled with homemade cakeballs...Bridget's special recipe. I was pretty proud of the whole design because each branded box was hand crafted and wrapped with care. :)

We had two outdoor photo shoots. For the first one we focused on basic lighting principles with one model. Our lovely model, Carrie, did a fantastic job and now I can't wait for another upcoming session I have with her this summer!

Between photo shoots we talked about branding, personalization, pricing, and post processing.

For our second shoot, we had the gorgeous Michelle and Mike model for us so we could work on posing, personalization, and properly lighting two people. I absolutely adored this session and could have photographed them ALL. DAY. I could have listened to Mike play his guitar all day!!!! I think I'm going to have to bring live guitar music to every photo shoot now...it certainly makes for a serene and romantic mood!

Michelle's hair and makekup was done by the talented artisans at Emblazon Salon.

To top off the fabulous lineup, our sponsors provided some amazing door prizes! Showit gave away one free year of Showit Sites and a discount on Showit Web. WHCC gave away a free hard bound album and a free custom image box as well as 3 free months of PicPick proofing. Rebecca Lily gave away a complete set of her artistic presets. And B&H Photo provided Lighting Guides and 2 free copies of OnOne PhotoTools!

We wrapped up the day with dinner at Villa Macri's. Saying goodbye to new friends was bittersweet. But what a wonderful day. Thanks to everyone who made the day a success!

Jubilee

2010-05-05T19:55:00.001-04:00

When I officially started my photography business in 2004, it was meant to be just a fun little hobby job...to keep me busy while transitioning to being a stay-at-home Mom. I never dared to dream that in the next six years it would grow and expand to what it is today. The momentum snowballed and I have been scrambling to keep up. Many people have commented to me over the past few years, "I don't know how you do it all...how do you keep up?" The answer is, I'm NOT. A lot of areas of my personal life have suffered to meet the demands of my growing business...my family, my friends, and my spiritual and physical well being. I've admitted this before and I've vowed many times to slow down and reprioritize, which I've managed to accomplish on a small scale. But as much as I try, there's one thing about me that I can't change. I'm an all or nothing girl. I know this isn't entirely a bad quality...it's part of what has made me the artist that I am...I push the limits and exceed my own goals. But there is a bad part about it...it means that photography will never be a 9-5 job for me...it's a 24/7/365 job. It has become so big that sometimes I think it overshadows who I am as a person and the worst part is I've become comfortable hiding behind it and using it as an excuse.

In the Old Testament, God told the children of Israel that every seven years they were to let their fields rest. Every 49 years (7x7) they were instructed to release all debts and slaves, and basically push the big "reset" button on life. It was called the year of Jubilee. I've always liked the concept of the year of Jubilee and God's connection to the number 7...it intrigues me. And so I'm going to claim next year as my own personal year of Jubliee. I've never been JUST a Mom and I think that's something I need to experience. I'm returning everything to the way it was and giving my fields a rest. I'm going to focus on revitalizing the health and wellness of my family. Most of all, I'm going to do some spiritual cleansing and healing.

Because accepting weddings a year in advance involves meetings and engagement sessions, I will most likely be booking a very limited number of weddings for 2012 (that's the current plan), but I won't be taking interviews or appointments until Fall of 2011. I want my time off to be as complete and uninterrupted as possible so I'm actually going to be disassembling my home office and turning it into living space. :)

I've already had a lot of great feedback and encouragement on this decision and I hope that you, as my friends, family and clients, will support me and celebrate with me. It was an excruciatingly difficult decison to come to, so PLEASE don't beg me to change my mind or try to convince me to make an exception. :) Thank you all for everything you've meant to me this first six years...I can't even put it into words as I think of each person I've photographed...I just adore every one of you! I have the best clients in the world...because you're more than just clients, you're friends.

Looking forward to finishing THIS year with a BANG! Stay tuned... ;)

Coming out of Hibernation

2010-03-08T20:35:00.001-05:00

As I slowly emerge from hibernation, I find myself reaching for the camera more and more. The urge to shoot, to light, to pose, to post process...it's a glowing ember threatening to burst into flames at any moment. :)

Here's some pictures I took today in the park...it was SO nice out that I enjoyed both the sunrise and sunset while breathing in the fresh air. It was glorious!!

The Rawk Hard Workshop

2010-02-26T08:38:00.001-05:00

My first experience teaching was about five years ago when our pastor's wife, Liz Miller, asked if I would come in and speak to a group of seventh graders about photography. I did not consider myself qualified to teach, but they were EXCITED about it and I knew that I could find SOMETHING to explain to them that they didn't know before. So I decided to go for it. After that little class the students were given cameras and sent out to take pictures that would qualify a few of them for a regional competition. When I saw the enthusiasm that they had, when I saw the pictures that they took and the impact of the pictures I had shown them, I felt, in a small way, like they were mine. I felt proud of them. Since then, I've helped coach students every year for their competition pieces and begun teaching the online Raw Talent Class. I've seen my students win photography competitions. I've helped my friend Josef Samuel start a local photographer's association called The X/Stop Project, which focuses on networking, education, and community service. I've held one-on-one mentoring sessions. This is not a laundry list of my achievements...this is me realizing for the first time that I'm drawn to teaching! Silly to just realize this, but for the past few years people have been asking me to hold a workshop and I've always said "I don't think I'm cut out for that." So it literally just dawned on me in the past couple of months that not only can I do this, but I am really excited about it! I'm excited about meeting current Raw Talent students who want to take their lighting to the next level. I'm excited about all the light bulb moments I'm going to be able to witness in person. I'm excited about seeing people grow, and having a part in that.

So thank you to each of you who have pushed me, asked repeatedly, and never let this thought leave my head until it became a reality. :) You know who you are. You have helped me grow, and I hope I can do the same for others.

Click here for more info about the upcoming Rawk Hard Workshop!

Jon Fussle in Haiti

2010-01-22T10:25:00.001-05:00

I don't think I've ever met a REAL celebrity. If I have, I can't remember. Part of this is because I don't really want to...I don't value the quality of "celebrityism" in and of itself. But I HAVE met a few people who I've wished I had an autographed picture of. I've met a few people that left me speechless. And there are quite a few who I'll gladly boast of meeting. They're not celebritites and they may never be. But the qualities they have are super human courage, faith, and love for people and that makes them my heroes. And my favorites among these people won't even take the credit for it...they give it all to God.

A few weeks ago I met one such person as I had the distinct pleasure of doing a photo shoot for Jon Fussle's political campaign. I left so very impressed with Jon! Today I am even more proud to be able to say I know him as I hear more and more about his efforts and sacrifice for the people in Haiti. Had the earthquake not happened, right now Jon would be focusing 100% of his time and efforts on his campaign, but instead he's running back to back flights from FL to Haiti, shuttling supplies, doctors, and nurses to care for the people there. He is, to me, the only kind of celebrity I'd ever pay money and fight crowds to meet.

Below I've copied and pasted an email circulating from Tyler Sylveus. He shares some stories and some ways we can help. When I think of all that Jon and his crew are personally sacrificing right now, I can't help but look at a few measly dollars as a drop in the bucket in comparison.

I wanted to take a few moments to bring everyone up to date on how and what we have been up to in Haiti.

Last week, Tuesday I think it was, I found out that my old neighbor Frank Cortois couldn't reach his family in Haiti (4 brothers and 2 sisters). I have known frank since I was in middle school and this simply broke my heart.

At the same time Jon Fussle, a pilot who flies some for us, was beginning to formulate a plan to fly in some relief workers to Haiti. See the article here for the story on them. http://www.poststar.com/news/local/article_12c4fee6-03d2-11df-8aa3-001cc4c03286.html

Last Friday night Jon, Frank and Heidi loaded up the Lance from our hangar in Warsaw and set out for Haiti. They landed for a refueling stop in Georgia and then on to Fort Lauderdale. They spent the day Saturday making final preparations and gaining clearance to fly into Port au Prince with their relief workers and supplies.

Jon has maintained a nearly constant schedule of flights into Port au Prince over the past 5 days. Carrying much needed supplies of food, water and medical gear as well as additional personal to aid in the relief effort. Even now there is no functional way to move supplies or people into our out of the country without the use of a private aircraft. Many areas of Port au Prince still haven't seen the Red Cross or Military and the workers that have been taken in are serving in just such an area (Carrefour)!

Monday afternoon I spoke with Jon and he relayed an urgent request for some specific medical supplies. We were able with the help of Pillbox Pharmacy and a local doctor in Warsaw to obtain those supplies (and much more). Todd Anderson and I spent the night packing these supplies into large duffel bags and set out just before 2am to catch a early flight to Fort Lauderdale and deliver these supplies to Jon and the plane. We were also extended an invitation by the relief workers to come to Haiti and spend some time working alongside them.

We spend the day Tuesday running from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami and back in search of MRE's, satellite cell phones, loads of protein bars and other "priceless" items. After accomplishing our goals and loading the plane with supplies and ourselves we set out.

Just after takeoff Jon noticed a slight abnormality in our dear Piper Lance, something was just a bit off. No one wants to fly over water when the airplane isn't absolutely perfect. We returned to the airport and spent the night reflecting on the previous several days while we rested in the lounge of the terminal. Jon worked to round up the right mechanic to look at the plane the next morning and diagnose the problem. Todd watched (cheering) Scott Browns victory in Massachusetts.

The plane was given a clean bill of health and proceeded on with Jon, Todd and lots of supplies Wednesday night. On that plane was a strange item requested by one of the MD's on the ground in Haiti. He wanted battery powered reciprocating saw's so that he could amputate limbs. You simply cannot imagine the horror of those on the ground. Today a woman walked up to Todd and placed a few week old baby into his arms before turning and leaving. They spent most of the day trying to prepare a better site for a permanent base camp. They saw numerous bodies pulled from the rubble of a neighbor house. The stories I hear from our guy's on the ground are about to overwhelm me. It's the most horrible situations you can possibly imagine. Frank made a statement to me that keeps coming back to my mind "all the good your hearing about on TV isn't happening where we are". He meant that the massive mulit-national relief effort hasn't even touched the area that they are staying and serving in.

But there is hope!

That's why you are getting this. Our little group and our little plane have been able to move in over 15 people, mostly medically trained. Several thousand pounds of medical supplies and food. However…

We can do more!

We tried to buy a truck today. A nice pickup will run us about 22,000.00 (cash only) right now. We need a vehicle to move supplies and to bring the wounded to where the doctors are. Thousands of people can't get medical aid because they can't move to where the aid is. We need to move doctors and nurses out to where the critical people just lay dying! We need vehicles.

I have a client willing to donate vehicles and have them to the airport in Florida. Joe Wilke is wanting to take mass amounts of generators and other supplies. There are churches connected all over to our little band of people and Carrefour, Haiti. We have doctors and nurses sitting in Florida waiting for a ride to go down.

Right now the lance is broken and may be a day or so to get back up. Please pray we find the needed part quickly.

We have a group willing to let us take their C-130 for one trip down to Port au Prince. With this airplane we could take 44,000 pounds of supplies. With the partnership of Joe Wilke and World Compassion Network we could fill that plane. We could take enough vehicles, lights, generators, large tents, cots, medical supplies that don't fit in the little plane, clothing, food, water, medicine, gas powered concrete saws, and tons (literally) of other equipment and supplies to support those in Haiti for a months or longer. Also, giving them the opportunity to expand the area of their influence. They need this very badly, the Haitian people need this support.

We are scheduled to move Joe Wilke and his team into Haiti on Feb 4th. We could have this plane load delivered on January 27th if we raise the funds.

Please help us raise the $60,000 needed for the cargo flight. When you think of the value of the goods we can take with us compared to if we had to buy it in Haiti we will be saving a tremendous amount of money.

We will continue our efforts to aid those doing the "heavy lifting" in Haiti. The needs go so beyond immense. With every meal given or medical supply used we are able to share the love of Christ with hurting people.

If you would like to help in this effort either financially or in some other way please email me at Tyler@cropins.net with your pledge. If you can give even just a little and your friends could also, we can get this done. If you have already given or can't please promise us your prayers. These contributions will go through World Compassion Network and will be tax deductible.

This is an opportunity to give to a close source where you know that every single cent is directly to Haiti, no admin expense, no employees, just help for those hurting.

I would ask everyone to pray for the safety and effectiveness of those doing this work every day.

For more regular updates keep up with the World Compassion website or several different facebook pages (Jon Fussle or Tyler Silveus).

Thanks for your support and prayers.

-Tyler Silveus

Sorry if this is garbled, very tired right now……need money

2009 -- The Best of the Rest

2010-01-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

The last of my Fav's posts! These are the rest of my favorite images! I couldn't decide why I love them. I just do. Some of them are combinations of many categories, some of them are in a category all of their own. And I'm sure as soon as I'm through posting all of these, I'll find several more favorites that I overlooked or forgot about...such is life. I think having 435 favorite images is enough for now. :) It's definitely got me looking forward to 2010!!

If you've made it through all of these, THANK YOU! :) Leave me a comment and say hello...I'd love to know you've been here.

2009 -- Cool Candids

2010-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here are a few real moments...we photographers like to call them candids. Some of them had a little more guidance than others, but all are images of people just living life...moments that were captured in full motion.

2009 -- Best Childhood Memories

2010-01-15T14:05:00.001-05:00

Some of these images are of my own children, some are of other people's, but they all represent to me what I would classify as the miracle and wonder of happy childhood. When I look at these, it makes me want to be a kid again and there's a warmth that wraps me up and makes me feel carefree and happy. I hope they make you feel the same way too...

2009 -- Best Color

2010-01-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

As I sorted through my favorite images, there were a few I simply liked best for their crazy bold color...

2009 -- Best in Fashion

2010-01-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Fashion is a big element of my photographic style. It sneaks into a lot of my images, but here are a few of my favorites that were purely fashionistic in nature:

2009 -- Best Dogs

2010-01-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is a small category this year, but one that could not be overlooked! Best in show...man's best friend...our loyal puppies!

2009 -- Best Eyes

2010-01-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Just a FEW of my favorite subjects that stood out to me because of the intensity of their eyes...

2009 -- Coolest Places

2010-01-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

My camera is my ticket to a lot of SUPER cool places! I get so excited when I am able to shoot with some new scenery or architecture. This is just ONE of the many reasons I feel blessed to have the career that I do. Here are a few of the cool places I've been this year:

2009 -- Best Smiles

2010-01-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness, it's probably not even fair of me to have this category! I love each and every smile I capture...it's what a portrait photographer lives for! But when I looked at my 435 favorite images, these were the ones that stood out to me as having genuine and contagious happiness through smiling. A smile is definitely contagious, so if you don't want to catch one, here's your warning...turn back now! Woops, you looked...it's too late...*grins*

2009 -- Best Dresses

2010-01-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of my favorite images from 2009 that show off some of my brides gorgeous dresses in unique ways:

2009 -- Best Flowers

2010-01-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

My method of choosing these images was not to go dredging up the best flowers of the year...that could have been a post three miles long! Instead I selected my favorite images overall (which came to 435) and then pulled out the ones that were cool because they had flowers. I haven't decided yet...I might do a blog post soon that features a collage of each of my wedding clients decor and flowers, but that's a massive project for another day. Today, I simply want to share with you some of my favorite images from 2009 that are unique because of their flowers:

2009 -- Best Reflections

2010-01-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm always on the lookout for great shots that utilize reflections. Of course, you might find a few more reflections in other categories, but these are images I love most for the impact they have because of their unique use of mirrors or water.

2009 -- Total Rock Stars

2010-01-05T22:00:00.000-05:00

In my line of work, I tend to meet a lot of people who are extraordinary. Often they don't KNOW they are and it's my pleasure to show them. I believe all my clients have a little rock star in them, and my hope is that ALL my pictures make them feel that way, but here are a few of my favorites in this category...

2009 - Most Romantic

2010-01-05T15:00:00.001-05:00

This is a re-post because my Most Romantic post got truncated last time by my software...if it had been one or two, maybe I would have overlooked it, but it was about HALF.

This is a massive category because romantic moments are one of my favorite things to capture!! I feel absolutely privileged beyond words when a couple feels comfortable enough with me to forget I'm there and simply enjoy their time with each other. When images look this real, it's because they are. These are emotions, sentiments, and feelings that can't be faked or prompted.

2009 -- Funny Shots

2010-01-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

What would life be without laughter, right? These are a few images from 2009 that make me laugh EVERY TIME I see them. Enjoy!

2009 -- Best Skies

2010-01-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

When I got my first point and shoot camera as a little girl, I found myself taking a lot of sunset pictures. Not many of them turned out all that great, but I couldn't stop trying to capture them. Sunsets and skyscapes have always calmed my soul and stirred my imagination. They still do today. Most of my very favorite pictures involve dramatic skies, clouds and colors. Here are a few images from 2009 that I absolutely adore for the cool skies and dramatic lighting...

2009 -- Best Kisses

2010-01-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

I am so blessed to be in a profession where I'm surrounded by people so deeply in love. I love being in love, and I love being around people who are in love! It's just such a great way to live life!!! People who are truly in love look at the world with happiness and contentment. Being in love changes you to the very core.

Here's some of the better-than-hollywood kisses I've had the honor of capturing in 2009...

2009 -- Best Jumpers

2009-12-31T07:00:00.003-05:00

I have a weird fascination with jumping! I think it's soo amazing to capture that split second moment when someone's hanging in thin air. It's a moment that you otherwise would not be able to fully appreciate fully with the expression that happens and disappears so quickly. People almost always smile! But if you can jump without cracking a smile, that says something about you too, and makes an image almost funnier! Of course, I do occasionally have people who decline the jumping suggestion and it's ok...it doesn't bum me out too bad. But I sure love the pictures I get when they're up for it! :) These are some of my favorite 2009 Jump Shots. :)

2009 -- Best Dancers

2009-12-30T10:22:00.001-05:00

Oh my goodness, I have so many dancing pictures...so many good ones...and a few that people probably don't want me to publish! But these stood out to me as some of my favorite dancing shots ever...I hope you enjoy!

2009 -- Best Laughs

2009-12-29T15:05:00.001-05:00

Wow. Another year gone like a whirlwind! And what a year it was! I began my wedding season with 4 weddings in 3 weekends: Saturday, Saturday, Sunday (in FL!), Saturday. What an awesome month that was...that was so fun!! In spite of the fast start, I was still able to keep my goal of limiting myself to 15 weddings. It was insanely busy at times, but overall managable with the ages of my kids right now. I was really happy with it. God blessed us so much.

I've decided to do something a little different this year, to wrap things up. There was no conceivable way I could even begin to narrow down my favorites...I narrowed it down to 435 and that's as good as I could do. So instead, I'm going to do a series of posts in categories:

Best laughs, best dancers, best jumpers, best kisses, most romantic, coolest skies, total rockstars, funny shots, best reflections, best smiles, best flower pictures, best dress pictures, coolest places, best eyes, dog pictures, best in fashion, best childhood moments, best in color, and cool candids.

As you can see, this is going to take awhile. I hope you enjoy reminiscing with me as I re-live 2009, as seen through my lens. Without further ado, here are the best laughs of 2009. I dare you to make it all the way through without LAUGHING at least once! :)

Featured: The Maternal Lens

2009-12-08T18:20:00.000-05:00

A couple of months ago I discovered The Maternal Lens and I have been positively ADDICTED ever since. These girls have SERIOUSLY great taste and every post they make has me excited to see what they'll uncover next!

And I honestly don't think this SIMPLY because they featured ME...lol. I truly love this blog and find it refreshing, reliable, and inspiring! If you'd like to read my article, head on over and check it out here. After that, peruse! You'll find a nice collection of very talented photographers and fun features.

Thanks to Shannon of Thousand Words Photography for the low down throw down!

Nikki

2009-12-04T19:18:00.002-05:00

Nikki. Rocks.

The moment I saw Nikki, I thought she would be SUCH a fun model to work with and I was absolutely right! Not only was she photogenic no matter WHAT she did, but she was hilariously funny and kept me laughing the whole afternoon! I think she's destined for greatness. I could be wrong, but I'm USUALLY right about these things. :)

Nikki's hair was done by Sarah and makeup was by Kelly, both at the incredible Emblazon Salon.

See what I mean? Hilarious!!

One of my instant fav's the moment I snapped the shutter:

Coolest eyes!!!

People often email me and ask where I find these scenic places to shoot...Indiana, baby! Indiana is a gorgeous place to live! Come visit sometime!

These are the moments I love my job so much I just want to jump up and down and do a little dance! When I asked Nikki to lay down in the middle of the parking lot...in a wedding dress...and she says without hesitation, "OK!" and proceeds to BE exactly what I envisioned for this shot... I LOVE my job!!! I don't take for granted, for even a second, the trust that I'm given. People usually have no idea what I'm dreaming up, but they trust me 110% and I'm so thankful for that! The confidence that people have in me is what allows me to succeed.

I specifically wanted to see how clear Nikki's eyes would sparkle here and I was not disappointed...look at how cool they look!

A shot loosely inspired by my photographic mentor, Jerry Ghionis.

It's so dark I can hardly focus, but I'm still getting a cool glow from the sky, so we're still swatting mosquitoes and shooting. :) Again, Nikki totally ROCKED!! Can't wait till she actually gets married so we can do this again! ;)

The Raw Talent Class

2009-12-01T15:35:00.001-05:00

The Raw Talent Class has now ushered 50 students through to the world of better picture taking this year!!!! Here's just a sampling of the feedback we're getting:

"I just wanted to let you know I LOVED your class...and I really really want you to do a part 2!! I'll be there! Thanks again - I can't say enough great things about this course - it (and you!) was fabulous!" ~P.N.

"Thanks so much for teaching the class and being so patient with all of us! I have learned a TON! By far the best class I have taken! You have opened up the world of manual picture taking for me." ~Kim

"I wanted to say thank you! This class has been fun and certainly educational, ha! I have learned so much and am super excited about where I am at right now and I know that in the months to come my photos will look better and better. You have an incredible eye and it's been fun to learn as you critiqued photos along the way - completely rearranged my ideas of great photos." ~H.S.

What's all the buzz about? The Raw Talent Class is an online photography class taught by the artist behind Rawsii wedding photography: Christi Nelson. It's designed to take novice and beginning DSLR users from the very frustrating feeling of "WHY IS MY CAMERA DOING THIS????" to a comfortable level ready for practice and marked improvement. For four weeks we cover the aspects of getting a correct exposure. The weekly assignments will help you understand what your camera is doing and why. Each assignment is reviewed so you know how you did and what you need to work on. At the end of four weeks, you get a one-on-one phone call from Christi to go over anything that might still be confusing you about exposure. Weeks 5-7 cover artistic aspects of photography and the 8th week covers post processing techniques in Lightroom and Photoshop. The cost of the eight week class is $250 which includes a disk of Lightroom and Photoshop tutorials and Christi's own special sharpening action that makes her images look so crisp and sharp.

Right now we're working our way through the waiting list, so if you're on it, you might be getting an email soon! If we have 15 people on the list who are ready to take it in February, then the class will be full. If we make it through the list and still have some spots open, we'll be opening it up on facebook for last minute takers. If you'd like to get a head start, put your name on the waiting list now! Email bridget@rawsii.com right away!

And here's a sneak peek!...

Unveiling our new Trash the Dress Album!

2009-11-12T17:25:00.001-05:00

I eluded a couple weeks ago to something new and exciting brewing over here...it's time to let the cat out of the bag! A few of you have already been into the Rawsii showroom and seen it, but for those of you who haven't, allow me to introduce the newest member of our album family: The Wedding Dress Diary. As Thomas Edison said, "Necessity is the mother of invention" and so starts our story of creation as well. Since I love Trash the Dress sessions SO very much and I seem to attract enough awesome, fun and crazy girls to make it happen often, the naturally occuring question was, "WHAT do we DO with all these incredible images???" While we loved the idea of homes plastered with lifesized Rawsii prints, we realized that's a little egotistical for most people's taste, so we decided we needed an album that would tastefully hold all the images from the session and serve a purpose other than collecting dust.

A diary was the perfect answer. It's the perfect sentimental counterpart to a Trash the Dress session. A TTD session is a girl's way of preserving her dress (with her in it!) for all time. Think about it...a wedding dress is the sexiest dress you'll ever wear. When you choose it, you imagine your husband going weak in the knees when you wear it. It's the dress worth hundreds, even thousands of dollars because it makes you look amazing on the day when it's most important for you to do so. The only way to TRULY preserve the dress, in the spirit of all it's chosen for, is to get the most amazing photographs in it that you possibly can. It's not really about trashing...calling it that just makes it fun. It's about creating artwork that will make your husband go weak in the knees over and over again for the rest of his life. And how cool to document your first year of marriage, the sentiments you feel, the journeys you take, the highs and lows, the ups and downs, right next to those images? It is, in my opinion, utter perfection.

To truly send chills down the spine, we needed an album that felt romantic the moment you picked it up. I love to write and when I sit down to do so, there's nothing more inspiring to me than a beautiful book to write in. Parchment paper is my favorite. It makes me feel as if anything I write will be poetic and last forever. I love the romance of torn edges and earthy textures. When I saw this album, I fell absolutely in LOVE and immediately felt inspired to write a million love notes to my husband in it! That was my indication that we had absolutely nailed this!

I've seen pillow books before, but never an idea quite like this one, so I'm very proud to say this is a Rawsii original concept! I love that personalization, originality, functionality, and artwork are all coming together into one album.

On the first page of the sample album I quoted, "It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten, the mood is gone; life itself is gone." -Vita Sackville-West.

Jamie TTD

2009-10-23T13:02:00.001-04:00

I was excited to work with Jamie on this project because she agreed to trash her dress to the max. Completely lay it to rest. It was AWESOME!!

And wait till you see what we've done with these pictures!! A completely new album idea. That post is next week. You won't want to miss it!

Matt and Rachael Renewed

2009-10-01T22:22:00.001-04:00

Matt and Rachael are personal friends of ours, so this was a super fun surprise to be a part of! They have four kids and just celebrated their 11th anniversary, but are still SO in love. Matt called me one day and ran this idea past me and we brainstormed up this really fabulous plan to get Rachael in her wedding dress so they could renew their vows. He and I both talked to her about doing a trash the dress session and getting her hair done for it...blah blah blah...we got the family all positioned in the church waiting, had her walk in to the sanctuary to "get pictures with the stained glass windows..." And here's how it went down from there...:)

Her daughter was waiting around the first corner for her, to hand her the bouquet. This was the first hint of any kind of a surprise.

The whole thing took place in the same church they were married in and as she approached her father at the door, he was holding the phone. On the phone was her brother who, at her wedding, had told her "I'm love you and I'm going to miss you" right before she walked down the aisle. It made her sob then, and it made her sob again today.

I love how Rachael's dad is looking at her as if he's giving her away for the first time...it's so adorable!

And Matt cracked too...it was a very sentimental ceremony.

Eleven years, but it looks like their first kiss...

Rachael had mentioned to Matt that she really liked the stain glass windows in the church...so we made sure to capture those artistically.

Love this one! :)

Are they gonna smash it???

Oh YEEESSSS they are!

And to keep us honest, Matt and I planned that we really WOULD take Rachael out to the beach to trash the dress...ever so nicely, of course!

Matt's kiss still knocks her veil right off. :)

You'll see this image (and a couple others) featured soon in Shore Brides Magazine...watch for it!

Rachael is such a good sport. I mentioned how cool it would be to do pictures up in the light house and she was like, "Matt, help me climb up there!" Check it out...and was it worth it?? OHHH YAHHH...

Matt and Rachael, congratulations! You are fantastic. Fantastic friends and wonderful examples of a God-blessed marriage. We love you guys!

Aaron and Christle Engagement

2009-09-22T15:15:00.001-04:00

Well, this is a bit of an emotional post for me...I'm sure you all know Aaron and Christle by now. They're my first place contest winners for free wedding photography. But as with so many of my clients, after they let me photograph their life and experience their amazing relationship first hand, I have come to consider them friends. Imagining them apart right now while Aaron is overseas defending our precious freedoms makes me tear up.

Well, about a month ago, Christle called me. She said that Aaron had not yet left US soil, but would soon, and he had one weekend of leave before that happened. He had asked her to fly out there and marry him and she wanted to know if I would still photograph their "BIG" wedding next year if they were already married? Um, OF COURSE! That's so romantic of him! Who would penalize a couple for such a thing? So I'm happy to say that Aaron and Christle are now Mr. and Mrs.! When I look at these pictures now, they seem happier somehow. Maybe it's just me being so happy for them.

For their session, we started out at an old restored theater. It was GORGEOUS and so much fun...

Aaron and Christle both love 80's music...so we busted out some old albums and some bubble gum and some rockin' 80's outfits!

Aaron is very tall and Christle is...not. I love this shot...:)

We were in a theater...so a little theatrical Titanic-inspired moment was only appropriate.

Their babies...BIG babies!

Aaron and Christle have a place they go when they need to drown their hard feelings and makeup...it's beautiful and peaceful and made a wonderful spot for some photos.

I think one of the things Christle does best with Aaron is LAUGH. He makes her giggle like a school girl and it's awesome. :)

This picture may have a bright little future! Army wives everywhere are finding it to be inspirational while they wait for their hubbies to come home. Christle in particular! :)

The fun I can have with just a little patch of light and a really adorable couple...it's pretty crazy!

My absolute FAV of Aaron...look at him! Such a cute little boyish grin. :)

Christle took me on a quick tour of their home and when I saw this unique arched window in the attic, I asked her to sit in it for a picture! I really didn't realize how symbolic it would become for me, but now whenever I look at it, I think of Christle waiting for Aaron to come home.

Really looking forward to celebrating with these guys next year. It's going to be a really REALLY happy reunion!

Brian and Kristen Engagement

2009-09-08T15:14:00.001-04:00

When Brian and Kristen first met with me, I was just amazed at how relaxed they were! Relaxed with each other, relaxed about the wedding, relaxed about...well, EVERYTHING! It was as if life was just perfect and they were along for the ride. I LOVED that about them...it was wonderfully contagious! They mentioned an idea for a photo session that I had an immediate artistic vision for, so we decided to run with it. I think I may have snowballed the idea a little, but I simply couldn't be happier with the results. More on that in a bit. We started at our location, the Elkhart Depot, with some more "normal" pictures, saving the best for last...

When I told Brian to lick her, neither Kristen or I really thought he'd DO it! But I love the resulting picture so much!!!

Ok, time for our blast to the past...Kristen makes a PERFECT 50's girl, don't you think? And Brian looks so dapper in his suspenders! It was like a scene from a movie...they were so expressive and perfect, I really think the photos are self-explanatory!

Anthony and Michelle's Wedding

2009-09-02T17:20:00.001-04:00

The eternal optimist that I am, I have to say, this whole being behind on my blogging thing is really kinda cool because now enough time has past to give me that "re-living" feeling when I go through the pictures! Every wedding event is such a personal experience for me. Photography is not a job to me, it's a way of expressing what I feel about what I see. I get to know each and every one of my clients and by the time we get to their wedding, I'm as (...ok, more...) excited than the little flower girls! We just celebrate in our own unique ways...they throw petals, I snap pictures!

Anthony and Michelle got married in June and their wedding was really fun because it was my first Serbian Orthodox wedding! Michelle tried to prepare me for all the partying that takes place in a Serb wedding, but there was nothing she could have said. lol! It was one GREAT. BIG. PARTY. from dawn to dusk. And beyond. I don't think I stopped smiling all day!

Michelle prepared at home and behind their house is this gorgeous old oak tree and a big open field. She loves this tree and I love that she loves it! It made a really great place for some pictures before the ceremony.

My favorite picture of Michelle EVER. She's just amazingly gorgeous and glowed on her wedding day!

Anthony is one of the most down to earth, real guys I've met. When you meet him, you just feel comfortable and at home. But I love how he pulls off a good mobster look too...the cigar was really fun to play with!

All the little cousins wore matching dresses! And I love how the painting behind them depicts all the children on Jesus' lap. How perfect!

Michelle's dad doesn't look too upset about giving her away, huh? Who would when she's marrying a guy as awesome as Anthony!

When asked if he was promised to any other woman, Anthony paused to think...resulting in this great reaction from everyone! LOL!

Michelle's daughter, the flower girl, watching her Mom get married...I love this moment!

Anthony grins boyishly at Michelle...it's adorable! :)

I think Anthony was amused by the crowns. As a side note, my son saw this picture and his jaw dropped, "Are they the REAL king and queen???" It took everything in me not to say, "YES, honey, mommy shot the king and queen's wedding last weekend!" lol.

This is most amusing...the ceremony was looooonnnnnngggggg! lol And everyone stood the whole time. Well, almost everyone.

Finally! The kiss!

When Anthony and Michelle exited the church, everyone greeted them with shots and chucked quarters at them! Seemed kind of dangerous to me, but I guess Serbs are pretty resilient!

The kids swarmed the quarters...presumably to chuck them at the bride and groom again.

Then the accordian music began and the dancing ensued. I absolutely love the storytelling of this picture!

Michelle's daughter was the flower girl and Anthony's son was the ring bearer. Both were really fun to goof off with...

A nice new family picture...

Even Serbian kids know how to party!

There are no words...

One of my favorite dancing pictures of all time!

Bride's mom...probably my 2nd favorite dancing picture ever! It makes me smile EVERY TIME!

Anthony and Michelle, congratulations! What a fun day!!! I was honored to be a part of it. Bog Vas Blagoslovio!

Aaron and Jessica

2009-08-12T17:23:00.001-04:00

I've been SUCH a bad blogger!!!!! I apologize...please forgive me! Wedding season seriously takes over my life and I have not had time to keep my blog as current as I'd like to.

BUT, what way to kick back into the groove...just WAIT till you see Jessica and Aaron's gorgeous wedding...WOWZAS!! I was so excited to shoot at the Tippecanoe Mansion and excited to work with Jessica, who I've known for several years. I was glad she had a gorgeous day for her outdoor wedding too...it was BEAUTIFUL!

The girls all had their hair and makeup done by the amazing artists at Emblazon Salon.

Aaron made a studly groom, very calm and cool while he waited to see Jessica.

I seriously love this picture...

Aaron and Jessica opted to see each other before the ceremony so we could get PLENTY of pictures. I love how it allowed us to choose where they saw each other too, creating this gorgeous picture of that moment for them.

These guys know how to WORK it!

Cute candid moment...

I could NOT for the life of me decide between these next two shots, so I just had to include them both. I love them individually for the way they feel and I simply couldn't choose!

The gorgeous mansion...and gorgeous couple!

We had some extra time so we did some fashion bridals.

My absolute FAVORITE shot of the day...this one is hanging huge on my office wall because it matches the feel and decor so PERFECTLY!!

More fun pictures showcasing the mansion...

A quick prayer before the ceremony...

I'm just so moved by these pictures...especially because I've known Jessica and her dad for years and I know how close they are...I really almost cried here!

A little flare ;)

A lotta flare :D

Jessica and Aaron look on as her grandparents dance after winning the Anniversary Dance.

{Trinity}

2009-07-23T12:12:00.001-04:00

Trinity is a doll, isn't she? I had a lot of fun with this session!

Andrew and Britany Engagement

2009-07-13T20:31:00.001-04:00

My ultimate photographic passion is personalization. There's nothin' like it. I absolutely LOVE to photograph people in an environment that tells their story. I just so happen to have some of the most amazing clients with the COOLEST stories to tell. I get SO excited to share these that it's hard to even sit still. :)

Andrew and Britany are getting married this Fall and when I'm with them I can just FEEL the relief that it's almost here! It has been a LONG haul for both of them, going to school and driving between Indy and Chicago every weekend. Britany is an Equine Veterinarian which required some intense schooling and Andrew is a Chemical Engineer, which might as well be Rocket Scientist to me. But despite their hard earned titles, they remain so intensely REAL, enjoying life and each other in a way that feels like a cool breeze on a hot day, smells like freshly cut grass, bonfires, and hamburgers on the grill. It's relaxing and refreshing.

They met while sailboat racing. How cool is THAT??? We started out at the marina they launched from that night they met. Isn't it gorgeous there? And aren't they ADORABLE??? These pix give me the warm fuzzies like a weekend chick flick!

Britany is stunning...and this picture totally rocks my world (and I happen to know it rock's Andrew's too!)

This is the exact dock where their boat was launched that night. There just happened to be an adorable little table and chairs sitting there...I couldn't resist.

Maggie is their "baby." Isn't she awesome? She was a little confused by all this PDA and papparazzi coverage. lol!

It was COLD out but they did a great job heating things up ;)

One of my personal fav's...I really want to print this huge and decorate a whole room around this one...

Lake Michigan was oddly calm and smooth...I had never seen it like that! It was soothing.

Another personal fav...and nearly straight off the camera. I upped the contrast a little, but otherwise, SOTC.

A little lighthouse magic...

Aren't they gorgeous?

This just summarizes everything about Andrew and Britany...

For all of you out there who may find yourself in front of my camera, I will warn you of a bad habit I have...first, I promise I'm done in "two more minutes." Then I see "one more shot." Twice. Then on the way back to the car, I see "one more shot." haha. BUT, in my defense...this shot was TOTALLY worth stopping for! Right?!?!

Andrew and Britany, I'm TOTALLY psyched about your wedding this Fall! Can't wait for the vineyards and the gorgeous fall colors! Thanks for braving the cold, for being SO in love, and for choosing me as your wedding photographer. I'm honored.

Josiah and Danielle

2009-07-06T22:33:00.001-04:00

I don't even know how to begin this post...there's so much to say! The story of how this all came to be deserves telling, but I'm not sure I can express just how cool it was. But here goes anyways.

Josiah and Danielle are two of the most gracious, kind, genuine, generous, selfless, and beautiful individuals I have had the pleasure of meeting. When I say that God brought them into my lives in a very direct way, I do mean that very literally. I got an email one day from a girl named Joanna who had heard that I sometimes did pro bono weddings, and she asked if I would consider helping out her brother and his fiance. She explained that they were both in full time ministry and that they had started a unique underprivileged children's home called Sonnyvilla. They were working on a shoe string wedding budget and a friend who had been willing to photograph their wedding had been forced to back out. I had heard of their work and was familiar with it and really impressed. But the wedding was only a few months away, and in Florida, so I responded that I would have looooooved to help out such a deserving couple but I already had a wedding that day and my schedule for the year was already full. I told her if they happened to move the date, by any chance, to get back with me.

Half a day later I got a response...they'd be willing to move the date! Only problem was, the only date they could move it to was the very next day. Having a wedding on Saturday here and in Florida on Sunday was absolutely impossible. Or so I thought.

I quickly skimmed the email and immediately began typing the words, "Sorry, but..." when a coincidental detail caught my eye and made me stop in my tracks.

Now, you can call me WEIRD...I don't really care...I believe that God sometimes works in very quirky ways in our lives. Not even 10 days prior to receiving this email from Joanna I had received a facbook message from an old bff (whom I rarely have the pleasure of connecting with anymore due to our busy lives and careers) from Fort Myers, FL basically saying, "Come visit me!" I jokingly replied, "Get me a Ft. Myers wedding and I'll be right there!" Nothing weird about that, right? Well, two days after that I received an email from a potential client asking if I would photograph their wedding...in Ft. Myers, FL! My jaw dropped. I get requests for destination weddings every so often, but that exact location? I was like THAT is just WEEEEEIRD. But I was all excited...it looked like I was going to have a very ironicly timed trip to Ft. Myers. However, as hard as we tried to rearrange our calendars, that client and I could not synchronize our schedules and the deal fell through. I was SO bummed. I couldn't believe all that irony was for nothing. But it turns out, it wasn't...

As I read the email in front of me and began typing, "Sorry, but..." I saw the specific wedding location for the first time, "Ft. Myers, FL." I was like NO STINKIN WAY. I sat back in my seat, "You have GOT to be kidding me!" I thought how ironic ONE request for a Ft. Myers wedding was within a week of that first conversation, but TWO? It was just enough of a coincidence to make me think that God wanted me to take a 2nd look at this whole scenario. So I began punching numbers and checking times.

As it turned out, the wedding I was photographing in South Bend on Saturday was an early wedding and would be done by 6pm, so I could actually get home, pack, and get a decent night's sleep...very unusual! I found a direct flight from South Bend to Ft. Myers early Sunday morning for less than $250 which is ALSO pretty unheard of. I always check South Bend flights first and they've sometimes been as high as $600 with 2 layovers. I called my FL friend who enthusiastically agreed to not only pick me up from the airport, but to assist me with lighting and equipment and taxi me around, eliminating the need for a rental car. Suddenly the impossible seemed very very plausible.

I backspaced and deleted the "Sorry, but..." and wrote instead, "I'm craaaaazy, I really am! I have a wedding on the 16^th AND the 23rd, but I'm still going to say YESSSS to this crazy plan! I actually think I'd be more crazy not to!"

And so THAT is how I knew God was telling me to photograph Josiah and Danielle's wedding. And that is also how I ended up starting my wedding season by shooting 4 weddings in the span of 15 days. But it was SO worth it!!! Check it out...

As if this story wasn't amazing enough...look at how gorgeous their wedding was even on a shoe string budget...I was amazed at Danielle's resourcefulness! I don't know all the deals she got, but I know her dress, readers (...I hope she doesn't mind me telling you...) was only $100. That is one of the most ornate and gorgeous dresses I've ever seen! I really was amazed!

It was pouring rain the day of their wedding, but it stopped just in time for us to get the pictures done...and look at the amazing background the dramatic clouds gave us! I LOVE these pictures!

A gorgeous setting unfolded for their wedding...

I love this image because it was purely candid...Josiah and Danielle laugh together...it's one of the things they do best. I loved capturing such a perfect illustration of that.

A couple of final shots before the sun went down...

The reception venue was gorgeous, dimly lit and incredible...

Since I was only able to come in JUST in time for their wedding and I had SO many pictures I wanted to take, I convinced these guys (it wasn't TOO hard) to do a day-after session before they took off for their honeymoon. That day, however, the weather decided not to cooperate and we found ourselves facing torrential downpours. I told Josiah and Danielle we'd start in my hotel room with some natural light photos because I was really in love with the colors and the decor...I think they were just a little skeptical until I showed them the pictures on the back of my camera and then they were like, "Ok...we get it! Those are awesome!" I have to agree...they're some of my fav's!

Danielle's Mom was able to pull some strings and arrange for us to gain access to some gorgeous gardens and arcitectural areas. It was truly a photographers' playground! It was challenging finding ways to keep Josiah and Danielle out of the rain...but a FUN challenge!

This was an immediate favorite! I absolutely adore this one...

When the rain broke long enough to step outside, we made a run for it...they were SUCH good sports about it all! We had fun and laughed A LOT!

Easily my favorite shot of the entire day. We looked long and hard for this fountain! We'd seen it in a picture and knew it was there, but we couldn't find it for EVER! As it turned out, we wouldn't have wanted to find it any sooner because when we got there the sky was dimming perfectly for capturing the lights of the fountain and all the drama. Once we FOUND it, I think we captured this shot in less than 2 minutes and moved on...badda bing, badda boom.

At the end of the day, we still had dry skies so we made a mad dash for the beach. The dramatic skies really made the mood of this image perfect. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, in spite of the rain!

Seriously, you're not going to believe it, but immediately after this shot was taken, the BIGGEST RAT (or baby possum...one or the other) creeped in from the left side of the picture and ran RIGHT behind Danielle's dress! It was SO freaky!!!! Josiah yelled, Danielle bolted, and the rodent ran back the other way. EEK! We were convinced it was a possum until someone reminded me that possums play dead when frightened. This thing was certainly not playing dead. UGH...I can't even remember it without shuddering!

That's not the ONLY creepy thing about this picture though...if you find the other thing, that will give you shudders too. ;)

Josiah and Danielle, thank you and congratulations! It was an honor to be a part of your wedding day and to know so directly that God placed us in each other's lives. I'm looking forward to being more involved with Sonnyvilla in the future.

For more information about Sonnyvilla, visit www.sonnyvilla.com

I Heart Faces Contest Results!

2009-07-06T08:22:00.001-04:00

So excited that Josiah and Danielle's wedding picture was among the Top 10 chosen this week by Jasmine Star!! That totally makes my day!

"Wedding Bells" Photo Challenge

2009-06-29T14:48:00.001-04:00

I heard about I Heart Faces and their photo challenge and I thought it sounded like a ton of fun! And it also gave me the perfect opportunity to throw you all a sneak peek of Josiah and Danielle's upcoming wedding post! They were married at a gorgeous beach ceremony in Bonita Springs, FL. We did a day after shoot as well...had SUCH a blast!!! Can't wait to share. But for now, here's my entry into the "Wedding Bells" Photo Challenge:

Amy and Steve

2009-06-29T14:46:00.001-04:00

Steve and Amy's wedding day was a long awaited event. I was happy both on a professional AND a personal level because Amy's family has been very close with ours for many years. (You may remember our little trip to Niagara Falls for Steve's proposal) It was almost like attending a family wedding for me! On top of all that, Steve and Amy were SO in love...they could hardly stop looking at each other and smiling. :) It was a fun day.

I loved Amy's shoes...this was immediately one of my favorite shots...

The little Ring Bearer and flower girl got a lot of attention...SUPER cute posers...more of them coming soon...

It rained at the beginning of the day, so we started with pictures indoors. But no problem! Some great window light, a little creative ingenuity, and a whole lotta love was all we needed for some great pictures...

Believe it or not, we're still not out in the rain for this shot...

A lovely ring shot by Seth Haley, my capable 2nd shooter for the day.

It finally stopped raining so we headed out to the field. We like to laugh about this one because we needed help keeping the dress from getting wet so there's a bridesmaid hiding behind the bride and groom here...lol!

Their happily married!!! I LOOOVE this picture!

The RB and FG...aren't they just ADORABLE?

A sweet little sibling moment...

Can't get enough of those reflections...

One of my fav's...this is how sweet they are ALL the time...it's ADORABLE!

Another fantastic shot by Seth:

A gorgeous limo shot to wrap things up...Congratulations Steve and Amy! You're so awesome! Love you guys!

Walking on Air

2009-06-22T14:43:00.001-04:00

When I meet with wedding clients after we've both decided that we're a great artistic match for their wedding day, I have a list of 10 bizarre questions that I like to ask. The questions generate some lively conversation, laughter, and best of all, I get to see the two of them interact naturally as they share stories, anecdotes, and trivia about each other. Sometimes the things that come up even help me think of a unique artistic approach to their photo session. It's my favorite part of the consultation, and dare I say, theirs too?

One of my seemingly random questions is, Describe the perfect average day…the little things that make you feel like you're walking on air…" I love this question! It's light and deep all at the same time.

With the 2009 wedding season in full swing now, I have to say, life is a little bit hectic. Ok, a LOT hectic. The week before last I was shooting every day except Wednesday, and two on Saturday. I've been feeling that panicky/sick feeling like my family is being neglected and my friends are wondering if I simply don't like them anymore. That means NO walking on air for me! In fact, I felt more like I was walking in quicksand! All the little things that make me smile had gotten shoved aside for larger achievements. But this morning I woke up with fresh energy. As I drove to meet my friend Jennifer for our 6am workout, I rolled the window down and felt the breeze blowing through my hair. I smelled the freshly cut grass, farm country, breakfasts cooking, and the warm morning summer air. I thought to myself, "Life is GOOD" and immediately had that "walking on air" feeling that I had almost forgotten about! I was so relieved to feel it that I almost cried! Or maybe I did, but the 40mph winds blowing in my face wiped it away!

So here's my shortened list. The top 10 little things that make me feel like I'm walking on air. The parts of life that make me feel like I'm not forgetting to live...

1) Driving with the window down and feeling the wind in my hair (and here's a picture from high school to prove that it's always been that way!)

2) Spending time with Jesus first thing in the morning...feeling prioritized, calmed and focused for the day ahead.

3) Handing my kids apples instead of cookies and seeing their eyes light up.

4) Hearing "Truly Madly Deeply" on the radio.

5) Snuggling up on the couch to watch a romantic comedy with James.

6) Listening to Praise and Worship music while cleaning or cooking .

7) Waking up in the morning to C & J climbing into bed to snuggle up with me for 5 more minutes of sleep.

8) Hearing either of my boys tell me (or their dad, or each other), "I love you" randomly, for no particular reason.

9) Watching the boys give each other a hug and share without being told.

10) Getting an unexpected note or phone call from James.

If all those were to happen in one day, I think I'd float right up to the clouds!

So what's YOURS? What makes YOU feel like you're walking on air?

Country Boy, City Girl {Anthony and Michelle}

2009-06-14T00:47:00.001-04:00

Anthony is a country boy. Michelle is a city girl. So we decided that the two of them needed a dual location engagement session to contrast this. We started out in DTSB and took some super hot shots for the city girl...

Then we moved out to Anthony's territory in the country. This happened to be the exact location of their first kiss. And THAT, if you know me or anything about my artwork at all, had me all kinds of inspired!!

I'm behind on my blogging...I had to get this one up FAST because I just shot their wedding last weekend! They have to be "blog engaged" for a little while before they can be "blog married!" LOL.

Theatre and Baseball {Brian and Jessica}

2009-06-11T09:06:00.001-04:00

Brian and Jessica really fed into my photo addiction. They are almost as excited about what I do as I am, so when I explained my process of creating personalized artwork, they went above and beyond in offering me amazing options! Brian's mom rented out the Morris for their engagement session! When I sit down with my couples, I always try to get a sense of what they're into...BESIDES each other. :) Of course, usually whatever they typically enjoy has taken a huge back seat to wedding plans and being happy, in love and engaged, but generally there's something that we can incorporate into pictures that adds even more meaning and depth to their pictures as we portray their current life together. For Brian and Jessica, there were two primary things that surfaced from that discussion: theater and baseball. Jessica has a degree in theater and it's most definitely her passion! When we walked into the Morris Performing Arts Center I could just feel her excitement for the grandeur and the atmosphere there! We had such a good time capturing some dramatic and theatrical pictures here...

We took some pictures outside as well...

LOVE the feel of this one...

Isn't Brian SUCH a gentleman? *sigh*

Here's where we incorporated a lil bit of baseball...and brought out their crazy fun side...hahaha!

Isn't Jessica so glamorous here? The wind in her hair looks amazing!

A couple recipes from "Chef Bridgette"

2009-05-22T16:02:00.001-04:00

Most of my customers now know, know of, or have heard from my assistant Bridget over the past year. She's really an amazing addition to our little operation here! Not only is she my personal assistant, she's my graphic designer, customer service rep, lighting assistant, and sometimes even second shooter! She's got SKILLS, people! Well, this past month or so I've seen some really incredible photo edits coming across my desk and I thought I'd ask Bridget on behalf of you all, to share some of her secret recipes. We'll try to do this regularly as new and different ideas surface.

Here's Lindsey straight off the camera:

And here's Lindsey after:

Oh Snap (Totally Rad Actions) 100%

Vintage Plum 50% (UIP Actions)

(and my very own sharpening action that is a toned down knock-off version of what Dave Hill does. The lessened version fits my style better.)

Tess looked pretty gorgeous to begin with:

But then Bridget threw in a little:

Rusty Cage (Totally Rad Actions) with light and dark layers at 75%

Warm Vintage (UIP) at 25%

Dirty Diana (Totally Rad) at about 40% and sponged off the subject.

Here's a more subtle, but 2-step recipe. The first shot is straight off my camera. When shooting into the sunlight, dark tones are always washed out sacrifically to expose for their faces.

But no problem! In Lightroom, Bridget adjusted the dark tones and gave it a little vibrant punch. She also used the recovery tool to pull the highlights back a little.

And lastly, for complete perfection, she pulled it into Photoshop for a quick Ying/Yang (Totally Rad Actions) to lighten the faces, Moulin Rouge at 20% (layer Boost 1 only), and the Dave Hill sharpen.

There's more where this came from! Bridget is cooking up a new concoction at her desk as we speak! Gorgeous wedding pictures are about to be unveiled! Stay tuned!

Brian and Carly

2009-05-22T14:15:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago I had the privilege of second-shooting with my friend Wes from Platinum Productions. Second-shooting is something entirely new to me, so I'm a little bit enamered with it. While my personality type lends itself well to running the show and being in charge, sometimes it's just nice to take a step back and enjoy capturing more of the behind the scenes stuff. It's a far less stressful job, that's for sure!

Carly and Brian, although I didn't get to know them as well as I do my own brides and grooms, were beautiful to photograph and had a lovely wedding day. It was obvious that they love each other and their family and friends. Here are some of my favorite shots...

The lovely St. Monica's Church.

Outside, just after walking down the aisle...

Some cute family member moments...

Heading to the park for pictures...

It was a little bit chilly that day so the groomsmen were coming to the bridesmaid's rescue with their suit coats. However, not all were an exact fit.

The reception hall was decorated gorgeously...

Carly and Brian's first dance...

Carly and her dad...

Some awesome dance moves...

I had never seen this dancing game before, but I have a feeling I'll see it again...they're rowing down the river...

Congratulations, Carly and Brian! What a gorgeous day! I wish you all the happiness!

Happy Together {Brandon and Tiff}

2009-05-05T23:54:00.001-04:00

Brandon and Tiff met in college and were introduced (and schemed for each other) by one of their mutually favorite people: Brandon's sister, Richelle. The girls were teammates; this was a romance set on the volleyball court. Brandon would attend practices and help out with the team and eventually a casual friendship turned to interest and interest to romance. Before long, they were inseparable! Now they're like bread and butter. Like rice and sushi. Like vanilla and ice. And they're so HAPPY! These two are some of the happiest, most uplifting people I've ever had the pleasure of spending time with. In the face of separation and distance, they only smile and laugh and remain entirely optimistic.

When Brandon decided to make it official and ask Tiffany for her hand in marriage, he made sure everything was perfect for Tiff. He pulled together a well-thought-out Christmastime trip to Chicago, a proposal in front of a beautifully lit tree, followed by dinner with both of their parents. It was no small feat and MAY have involved some little white lies, but it was well worth it to see Tiff's surprised and exuberant "yes" at the end of the night.

I'm looking forward to Brandon and Tiffany's wedding in July!! Look at how much fun we've already had with pictures!!!

I'm blessed with so many customers who will stop at NOTHING for an awesome picture! Brandon and Tiff really surprised me though when they were totally willing to jump a fence and climb out on this bridge! I was so happy with the results...this is one of my favorites!

I couldn't decide whether I liked the color or black and white version better, so I'm posting both. Tiff can't decide either, so if you'd like to comment with your opinion, we'd both love to know what you think! :)

SO love this one!

Reflections are fun!!

Don't they both have COOL eyes? SO blue!

Alleys aren't usually this pretty...combine that with a couple who can really work it like fashion models and you've got a pretty {smashing fabulous} piece of artwork!