Welcome!!
Here you will find all sorts of things: tips and tricks, book reviews, stories of my adventures, client features, and so much more!
What to Wear for Your Senior Portrait Session
It’s quite a common question for both parents (or guardians!) and their Seniors: ‘What does my student wear for their portrait session?’ And, the answer is both really simple, and very complicated!
Road Trip!! Part One: The Preparation Phase
Y’all, I have probably lost my mind. This summer, I am taking my 3 boys on an extended road trip. I’m loading my 11 year old, 7.5 year old, and 4 year old into our SUV, and we’re gonna camp our way across the Southeastern U. S.
Why Look at the Camera?
Have you ever noticed how we all seem to be trained to look at a camera anytime someone pulls one out? It doesn’t matter what kind of camera it is, either! It could be a phone camera, a pro-grade DSLR, or a point-n-shoot, any time someone pulls one out to take a picture of a moment, we all stop what we’re doing and look at the camera! Now, there is a reason that we’ve been trained to do this, but this isn’t necessarily what we should be doing any more.
Wedding Vendors: What's the Difference Between a Service Provider and a Product Provider?
Earlier today I shared an article from Huffington Post entitled “The Most Common Wedding Emergencies, and How to Deal with Each”, and while their advice is spot-on, one of the underling, but unsaid ideas was to choose reliable and trustworthy wedding service providers. It made me think; do people know the difference between a service provider and a product provider? You need both when planning a wedding, but which ones are which? Well, in continuing the conversation started by the Huffington Post article, I’m gonna break it down for you!
How to Tie a Windsor Tie Knot with Justin Bradshaw
Justin was wonderful in helping me create this video tutorial for y’all! He has been tying his own ties for church every Sunday since the age of twelve, when his father first taught him how to tie a full Windsor Knot. Through my experience as a wedding photographer, I’ve learned that not every groom or groomsman knows how to tie their tie the day of the wedding, so we created an easy-to-follow video tutorial to explain how to do it!
Easy Posing Tips and Tricks for the Everyday Person
In the art of photography, photographers are responsible for taking three-dimensional (3D) objects and creating a two-dimensional (2D) piece of art that can be framed and hung on a wall. In theory this sounds quite simple: you get everyone posed, and you click the shutter button on the camera. But, in reality, it isn’t so simple. There are some things you can learn to do to help your photographer out, though! Here they are:
Amateur vs. Pro: What's the Diff?
It’s recently become more and more clear to me that most people don’t know a whole lot about what professional photography is, or what a professional photographer (like me!) does. That’s why I’ve written the last couple of posts, but I wanted to provide you all with some context for this course of education before I go too much further, and y’all think I’ve lost my mind (clearly my children have stolen it and sold it on the black market).
Putting Together a Wedding Day Timeline
I sometimes have a problem remembering that not everyone was a Girl Scout, and learned how to put together an event like I did. I have a bad habit of assuming that people can automatically lay out a timeline for an event- without writing it down!- and make it happen on schedule. I planned several dozen events for Girl Scouts over the years, so it almost became second nature to me. Today, I’m gonna share some of that insight with y’all!
What You Need to Know About Photography Business Models
I was recently watching a masterclass for photographers, and the speaker- another photographer by the name of Matt Kennedy- was teaching about pricing and business models for photographers. I realized right off that there is A LOT of confusion about business models for photographers, not only among photographers, but for our clients as well! If we can't event figure out what business model we follow, how can we explain it to y'all?! Well, I'm going to try to clear up some of the confusion for you.
How to Get a New Mexico Marriage License and Change Your Name
One of the many things couples have to worry about during the wedding planning process is how to obtain their marriage license and- if you’ve decided to- how to change your last name. Surprisingly, these are easy things to do, but they are oftentimes confusing or overwhelming to think about doing on top of all the wedding planning. So, here’s how to do it in New Mexico:
How To: Picking a Location for Your Family Portrait Session
One of the current trends that I love in photography is taking family portrait sessions out of the studio and into the community. So much more can be created when you’re outside- especially during the Golden Hour. But, you also need to be mindful of the safety of your location- especially with young kids are around.
How To: Prepping Your Kids for Family Photos
One of the many reasons that I've heard for not getting annual portraits taken of your family is that it's too hard to accomplish with young children. Well, it may seem that way, but it's actually not that hard- you just have to work with your kids instead of against them. Here are my tips for working with your kids and preparing them for family photos:
How To: Planning a Family Portrait Session
Annual family portraits can be a daunting task for many people, especially with young children, but it can be done! Here are my tips for planning your session so that it is an awesome experience for everyone involved.
Bridal Beauty Tips
Everyone wants to look and feel your very best on your wedding day- after all, it’s the one day you’re guaranteed to be the center of attention. Luckily, there are some things you can control when it comes to how you look. Here are my tips:
Planning Your Trip to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Every year Justin and I load up Christopher and Joshua really, really, really early on the first Saturday of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and take them to go see the balloons. In the five years (or so) that we've been doing this, we've learned a few lessons, tips, and tricks that I want to share with y'all today.
Preparing Your Groom for Your Engagement Portraits
Many men avoid having their picture taken for various reasons. My husband is an expert at dodging my camera. But, most acknowledge and accept that having engagement photos done is necessary, so they begrudgingly agree. There are some things that you can do to help them prepare for your portrait session, though.
10 Things Your Wedding Photographer Wishes You Knew
There are things we wish we could all tell others about our jobs. But, when you work in a service-based industry, where you work with people who've hired you to do something for them that they can't do for themselves, it's even more prevalent. Following- and in no particular order- are the things I wish I could tell all of my clients, so that they can understand that they're not alone.
Organizing Your Wedding Timeline to Get the Photos You Want
Wedding days are crazy busy. There is so much to do from the time you get up, to the time you (finally) kick off your shoes and fall into bed. But, after all is said and done, your photos will be the one thing that lasts beyond your special day, besides your memories. So, it'd make sense to plan your wedding day around getting the best photos possible, right? Here, I'll explain how to do that.
What to Wear to Your Family Portrait Session: Part One
One of the biggest questions, and worries, when you book a family photo session- or any session- is “What do I wear?” Or, some version of it, anyway. I know in my family, it’s always the second question asked when we get ready to take family photos- the first being “When are we doing this?”
Why I Love Photography
It occurred to me this last week that I never explained why I love photography- and that I should probably share that with you.