Aman Wedding- May 29th, 2017
The first time I met Rachel, immediately the term 'blonde bombshell' popped in my head. She is seriously incredibly gorgeous, with arguably the most hair I've ever seen a woman have (until I met the rest of the women in her family that is). But then you talk to her and realize that she's not just gorgeous, she's also incredibly down to earth and smiles all the time, moved away from home and graduated college, which I think speaks volumes to the person she is considering she's still so young. I knew immediately that I liked her. I didn't get to meet Tyler, unfortunately, until the day of the wedding. Tyler is in the Army and was not able to come into town until just a few days before. I immediately liked and respected him, just for the simple fact that he's in the service. When I finally did get to meet Tyler, I also learned he is incredibly polite and very easy going. And his eyes lit up whenever he was with Rachel.
The day of the wedding arrived and there were people everywhere getting things ready, which speaks to how loved these two are. But if I wasn't sure just how loved they are, I only needed to wait and observe and listen to their family and friends talk about them. Tyler and Rachel are not only loved, but they are also respected by those that love them most.
There's many things that I'll remember about their wedding, but to name a few; There was a branding, my first at a wedding, there might have been a little damage done to Rachel's dress from a deep fryer (you handled that like a champ), There was a failed dip (not going to live that down for awhile Tyler), Rachel's Grandma was the officiate with Tyler's Grandpa coming up for the branding, just to name a few.
Tyler and Rachel, I just wanted to say thank you for letting me be part of your day. I wish you two many, many years of love and happiness!
Wedding Venue: Fontaine Estates
Brides Dress: David's Bridal
Catering: Dedra Ruckert
Cake: Duran Aman with 'ABC Cakes' based out of New York
Flowers: Nancy Kirkley, Amy Rainville and Sandy Scott
Brides Hair & Make-up: Raina Rowberry with 'Moxie Hair and Body' based out of Bozeman, Montana
Common Misconceptions about Boudoir Photography
By now, anyone that's been following me or my boudoir page, or has entered a conversation with me about boudoir photography, knows that I am absolutely in love with the boudoir side of my business and just boudoir photography in general. I think it's such an empowering session for women and just an overall fun experience to give yourself. But many people do not understand how being half-naked can empower a women. I still occasionally get that 'look' when I tell people that I shoot boudoir photography. I think it's hard for people to look past the part of these sessions that involves women being scantily clad and posing 'sexy'. I'd like to touch on some of these common misconceptions.
1. Boudoir is NOT Pornography
Boudoir Photography is an artistic form of photography that is meant to celebrate and embrace a woman's body. It is not meant to exploit or sexualize women. Women are stunning and incredible creations that should be celebrated. Unlike pornography, which is made to satisfy the urges of others, boudoir is meant to gain that confidence and self-love for yourself. Are there some photographers that cross that line, certainly. I am not one of them and there are many other photographers that only wish to capture beautiful works of art.
2. Why do women need to do a Boudoir session to feel empowered?
I would never presume to think that every woman needs to do a boudoir session to feel empowered or embrace themselves. Maybe there are women that are confident enough in themselves, and God love those women! Most women are so consumed with our own imperfections and flaws, we can't see what everyone else sees. Boudoir sessions are shot in a private studio/location, with only the photographer present, in judgement-free environments. This allows women to not only embrace their bodies and feel empowered, but also do something that may be a little out of their comfort zone and express ourselves in way that we don't always get to and have fun in the process.
3. If Women are naturally beautiful, why do they need to have their hair and makeup done for these sessions?
Women ARE naturally beautiful. It's not our physical beauty that make us beautiful, it's our strong spirits and beautiful souls that do. Yes, makeup and hair are part of the sessions. Not only does it give clients a little time to get pampered by an amazing team of women, but it also allows time for my team and myself to help any remaining nerves that are lingering. There's so many laughs and smiles shared while clients are getting ready.
4. Why do I have to wear lingerie?
You do NOT have to wear lingerie. I have had women wear jeans, t-shirts, tank tops and flannels and they are just as beautiful as women in lingerie.
5. I am not in shape enough, young enough....
Oh man, this one is always so tough for me to hear. No one is perfect. There's no such thing as perfection. Sure, there's women that certainly look physically perfect.. I guarantee those women will tell you something they don't like about themselves. I always have women tell me 'someday' I will do one of those sessions. Life is so short. Embrace the body you have NOW instead of waiting for that illusive day to love yourself. LOVE YOURSELF TODAY.
6. I don't have anyone to give these images to.
Many of my sessions are booked as a gift for a significant other, and it's a great gift. That does not mean you need to have someone to give these pictures to. Allow yourself to be the person you book a session for, give yourself a gift that you will love. I promise, you won't regret it.
7. There's no point in taking photos that I will not allow the photographer to share or that I won't be able to share.
As to the first part of this statement. I would love to share every single session I shoot, but above that, I also respect my clients privacy. If you tell me you don't want anyone to see these photos, then no one will. About half the sessions I've shot have chose to not allow me to use their images, and I respect that decision. As to the second part. I do think most women assume they won't want anyone to see their photos before doing a session, but I'd put money on how many have shown not only friends, but also family once they see how beautiful their images are.
8. The packages are too expensive, I can't afford it/I can't spend that much money on photos.
I had reservations on talking about this one, only because talking about money is always an awkward conversation, at least it is for me. Boudoir sessions are more money than most sessions, but there's a lot that goes into them. The hair and makeup, a book (depending on your package) and the hours both behind a camera and computer all add up. I've tried to make my packages as affordable as possible, while still being able to also provide for my family, because it is how I make my living at the end of the day. Outside of the deposit, I don't ask for the total package price up front. You can make whatever is comfortable for you in payments, up to 1 week prior to your session date. As too it being too much money to spend on yourself, I couldn't disagree more. You deserve to give yourself this gift and it's one that you'll have forever.
When it comes down to it, there's many people that will have an opinion on boudoir photography regardless of what I say. You have to make your own decision about these sessions and whether you want to do one. I encourage any woman to talk with me or even schedule a consult to talk to me about these sessions, with no pressure to book a session. My hope and desire is only to help empower women and make them see what the world sees.
Spring Family Sessions
Spring is (finally) here! Seems like it took forever to make it's way to us, but the weather is warming up and everything is starting to bloom, which means it's time for Spring Family Sessions. Here's the details:
June 3rd (10, 11:15, 12:30 booked) Location TBA
1 hour
15 edited, full-resolution images
CD with print release
11x20 Professional Print of your choice
$165
Sessions are for your immediate family only. A $50 deposit is required upon booking to hold date and time. I only run specials on family sessions twice a year, in the spring and again in the fall, so don't miss out!
New year, new changes
Has everyone settled into this new year yet? It is 2017 and boy did it happen quick. 2016 was literally a blur. As with every year of business, you look back on the year that just passed and realize that there's things that need to change, ideas that did/did not work and some ideas you need to try out for the new year. Last year was no different.
Here are some things that I loved and worked out this year:
1. I started using my 50mm lens and I will never go back...mostly. I still have love for my other lens', but I am so in love with the images I captured with my 50mm. It took me forever to put that lens on my camera and just get comfortable with it and I'm so glad I finally did!
2. I met and worked with some new, incredible clients this year and also worked with clients that have been with me since I started this crazy ride. I don't know how I get so lucky to work with such incredible people, but I really do believe I have the best clients!
3. I finally got on Instagram. I've never claimed to be up on new and current forms of social networking and I'm usually dragging my feet getting there. I will admit to how much I love Instagram though because of how much it's allowed me to connect and follow other photographers around the world!
4. I offered/included prints in some packages for sessions this year and I loved being able to give those clients not only an amazing session and images, but prints to go with it. I have so much love for the photo lab I use and they never disappoint with their products. I do have some things to figure out first, but I'm going to work this into my package details at some point this year.
5. I revamped my website and updated the work on here. I love the cleaner look and definitely needed to get more current work on there. Again, social networking is obviously not my forte and I need to work on it.
Here's a few things that I realized with last year that I need to work on/change:
1. I'm awful at blogging (this is not a new revelation). I need to work on it.
2. As much as I love giving my clients a cd with their pictures on it, nothing is more bothersome than to find out they printed at a local store and they can't figure out why the prints don't look the same as they did on the computer. I talk with most (if not all) of my clients about printing and every year, I still have clients that message me about their prints. I've said this a thousand times and I'll probably say it a thousand more. Unless you are printing at a professional printing lab, the chances of your photos turning into amazing prints is pretty slim. I give my clients a cd as part of their package purchase because I believe they paid for their photos and should be able to do with them as they choose. Having said that, please don't do me the disservice of printing at a local store and then asking me why the prints don't look like the images on your cd. I haven't figured out yet what I want to do about this dilemma, but I'm working on it.
3. I have been pretty flexible with deposits for sessions and as a result have unfortunately had more cancellations than I care to think about. Because of this, I will be more strict on deposits this year and going forward. To all of my clients that have booked and kept their session dates and times, I truly appreciate it and hate to clump you into this. However, as with anything in business, once you've set a term or condition for yourself or business and you mean to stick to it, it has to be a blanket term or condition. Please understand, I don't think my clients are untrustworthy or going to cancel, but the few have ruined it for the many :(
While there were so many other things that I loved, didn't love, worked out or were a disaster.. These are the things that stick out the most for me. I am always open to comments or questions, whether it be an opinion or just things clients would like to start seeing or have the option to choose. So let me know your thoughts!