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Here you will find all sorts of things: tips and tricks, book reviews, stories of my adventures, client features, and so much more!
7 Reasons You Should Get Engagement Photos
Engagement photos are often seen as one of those things that you can forego if you're trying to save money on your wedding, but there are several excellent reasons that you should go ahead and schedule this portrait session with your chosen photographer:
5 Things That Make Your Wedding Guests Grumpy
I'm sure by now that we've all seen a few episodes of TLC's 'Four Weddings'. We all love to watch as four brides attend each other's weddings over the course of a year, and take notes and judge each other to see who had the best wedding out of the four of them. We watch as they party it up at the reception, complain about the food, judge the current bride's dress, and make notes about how such-and-such just isn't their 'style'. While it can be fun to watch, one thing we can all take away from this show is what makes wedding guests grumpy, and try to avoid these things at our own weddings. So, here is a list of 5 things that wedding guests complain about most:
Why I Support the American Cancer Society
This year, I will be donating $10.00 per mini session to the American Cancer Society, specifically supporting the Los Lunas Area Relay for Life chapter. While I've been advertising this, I realized that I've never said why I support this organization so much; why I'm raising money for them, and why I've become the event photographer for our local chapter.
Welcome to the World, Andrew Clifford!
We are so pleased to announce the birth of our third son, Andrew Clifford Bradshaw! At this point, Andrew is two months old, and both he and I are doing just fine.
Los Lunas, NM Relay for Life- An Interview with Karin Trujillo
I've had the pleasure of being the Los Lunas Area Relay for Life event photographer for the past couple of years, and every year I look forward to this incredible event. One of the many reasons that I became involved with this organization was because of the many people in my life who've had cancer. I've had several relatives pass away because of cancer, and I've been lucky enough to have several friends who've beaten it. Using my talents to give back to this organization is my way of honoring the people in my life who've come up against this horrid disease.
How Photography Can Make Genealogy Come Alive
As I type this, I'm sitting here watching my boys decorate gingerbread houses with my mom as part of their Christmas fun. My dad is relaxing in the living room, and my grandmother is doing heaven knows what while puttering in her kitchen. We're currently at my grandmother's house sitting at her dining room table while all of this is going on. One of the things I love most about this room (besides eating dinner in it, and the people I'm surrounded by) is that it's covered in photos of our relatives. My grandmother's parents, their parents, and their parents are all represented on the walls of this room, as are my grandfather's.
Why Receiving Lines are so Annoying, but You Should Have One Anyway
If you've ever been to a wedding, you've probably participated in a receiving line. You know. That crazy long line to greet the bride and groom on their special day directly after the ceremony so that you can pay them your respects and give them your well wishes. They're long, irritating, and mostly just annoying. I recently photographed a wedding where the receiving line carried on for over an hour and a half! Anyway, you've probably plotted various ways of ditching this long-time wedding tradition in hopes of not having one on your wedding day. Some of those plans may even involve invisibility cloaks and magic wands...
10 Tips for Letting Go of Your Body Insecurities on Your Wedding Day
This day in age it's easy to look at our physical appearances and only see the things that we'd love to improve- especially when your wedding day is approaching. You know you'll be the center of everyone's attention (as you rightfully should!), and you want to look and feel your best, but it's hard to have that confidence when you're ambushed with 'picture-perfect' models on magazine covers, social media posts, and on T.V. shows. So, how do you let go and enjoy your day?
What is a Wedding Planner, and Why Should You Hire One?
Hey, y'all! I've invited Jessica from Jessica Lynn Weddings & Events to write today's post about what a wedding planner actually does, and why you should hire one. As a photographer, I highly recommend that you at least have a wedding planner at your wedding for day-of coordination services. Oftentimes, I find myself filling in this vital role at weddings, as well as trying to do my own job of photographing your wedding, and it can get a little crazy (okay, a LOT crazy) when I'm trying to fill two very different roles. So, I'm gonna turn the rest of this blog post over to her, and I hope you guys will give her a call for your wedding!
Confessions of a Los Lunas, NM Photographer
It's hard to believe that I am once again writing this annual post. It seems like I just wrote the one at the beginning of 2016! But, here we are at the beginning of 2017.
What is the Golden Hour, and Why Should You Care?
Even before I knew that this special time of day had a specific name, it was my favorite part of the day. Simply put, the Golden Hour is the 30 minutes before sunset and the 30 minutes right after sunset each day. This is the time of day when the sun is at an angle to the spot you are at on the Earth. Specifically in New Mexico, it's the time of day when we get all those pretty skies and colors. You know- the pinks and purples and blues that have made our sunsets famous.
How to Get Pinterest-Perfect Wedding Photos, Even With a Tiny Budget
This day in age, just about every couple is looking for wedding inspiration on Pinterest. Even those who are married (me include) have boards of ideas for their perfect wedding. We all see those detail shots that photographers take, and dream about not only having a photo like that, but having whatever detail, action, or moment that the photograph shows at our wedding. So, how do you get those photos at your own wedding?
An Old Town Christmas in Albuquerque, NM- The Bennett Family
I had the pleasure of meeting and working with the Bennett Family a few weeks ago to capture their Christmas Portraits this year. Little did I know that Ms. Gianna had just turned 1 year old as well! It truly was a special- albeit very cold- portrait session!
An In-Home Session in Peralta, NM- Harry and Maryanne McCormick
One of the many joys that I have in my job is getting to meet some really incredible people and learn their stories. That was the case that brought me to the home of Harry and Maryanne McCormick, but first a bit of backstory.
An Old Town Christmas Session in Albuquerque, New Mexico- The Simpson-Parrott Family
I had the pleasure of photographing my friend Meg's family again this year for their Christmas portraits. Its always great to get to work with a friend, but one of the things that struck me most this year is that Meg is a mom to three wonderful boys, and an awesome little girl. She has done (and is doing) an awesome job parenting all four of her kids, but it is great to see the relationship that has developed between her three boys. While they tease and torment each other (what siblings don't, right?!), they also obviously love and support each other just as much. And, it goes without saying that the three of them would do anything for their little sister.
The Martinez Family- At-Home Session in Los Lunas, NM
I recently had the pleasure of meeting and working with the Martinez family to capture and create their family portraits for Christmas this year. Mark, Stephanie, Mark Jr., and Lillyana were kind enough to invite me to their home to create these beautiful photographs.
Johnathan and Michelle- Los Lunas River Park, Los Lunas NM
I had the pleasure of working with Michelle and Johnathan to create a session full of beautiful photos for their Christmas Cards this year!
The Johnson Family- Carlito Springs Park in Tijeras, New Mexico
I was honored to serve the Johnson Family by creating their fall family portraits! This awesome family chose to use Carlito Springs- and Open Space park owned and maintained by Bernalillo County in New Mexico.
Los Lunas, NM Wedding Vendor Styled Photo Shoot
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to have the privilege of working with some of the best wedding vendors that can be found in Los Lunas. These amazing small businesses are not only talented, creative, and hard-working, but are also kind and generous. I would like to say thank-you to each of them for their time and their talents to make this photo shoot happen!
Why You Should Choose a Local Photographer Over a National Chain
I admit it. I used to be one of those people that went to a national chain to have my family's portraits taken. In this particular case (the photo on the left), it was Portrait Innovations, and my eldest son- Christopher- was two. This was two years before I picked up my camera, learned how to use it, and started creating portraits myself. The portrait on the right, I took myself earlier this evening. Oh, and Christopher is now six.