Sep
30
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when liz first contacted me about photographing her wedding we immediately clicked over the phone. i love it when connections come easy and naturally. there is nothing forced about liz & ryan. they are an all american couple, who love riding motor cycles together and snuggling close in tall grass. liz wanted the location of their engagement shoot to fit them perfectly & i think it exceeded our wishes in every way. can't wait to be with these two again for their wedding next year! |
| oh how i love this picture. and how i love liz for how brave she was when she got 47 fire ant bites from lying in this field. |
| beautiful, romantic, real. i love it. |
| what a way to remember being in love. |
| they were made for each other and it's written all over this photo. |
eatyourheartout stacy & clinton + a blurb on creative photography. |
Sep
30
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how do i dress my kids for their photo shoot?! what to wear, or what not to wear may be the most common question i get asked as a photographer. there are probably about 8.7 million different opinions on what a person should wear when they are being photographed. my thoughts are pretty straightforward & if you have looked at photographs on my blog there is a good chance that the ones you really loved involved color, semi-coordination & even {gasp} patterns!! yes, i said the "p" word. shame on me. i admit it...i luh-huv to photograph patterns. they pop so nicely in pictures and i always do little happy dances when i meet clients for a session and they have chosen wardrobes that are full of personality! when asked, i offer the following advice to my clients:
-dress comfortably & in a manner that reflects your personality {or your child's}.
-think outside the box when you are trying to coordinate outfits for multiple people. use family's of colors, mix it up & heck, throw one person in there with a patterned dress and it'll be magical!
-if it looks good on a mannequin in the store, chances are it will look great on you too! stores and boutiques lay out the examples of how to put outfits together for a reason & that is to show you a good final product.
-accessories are your friend! it's getting cooler & i want to see you play with hats, scarves, boots, boots with the fur, & hooded sweatshirts!
-gone are the days where everyone wears a matching christmas sweater with little bells on it for a family picture. please, please, please don't make me have to submit your pictures to awkward family photos. :)
i created a photo shoot to show you exactly what i mean when i say that color is a beautiful thing! hopefully these will inspire you to muster up some goodies for when it's your turn in front of the camera...
lilli's patterned dress plays so nicely with elle's jeans & pink shirt. and knee socks?! pfffft. they go with EVERYTHING :) |
| i love grown up "things" on little kids. why give a kid a little scarf when they can wear yours? |
| something as simple as a hair piece can make all the difference in a photograph. |
| i don't know where to start on this. first of all, the outfits are tied together by the girls both wearing brown. they aren't even the same shade of brown but the color wonder of these outfits draws you into the picture. |
| choose colors that compliment your child {or yourself!} lilli looks perfectly beautiful in this photograph. |
| hats and scrunchy noses are a good combo... |
| especially hats with a fuzzball on the top! |
| you might be asking yourself what a boy should wear? same rules apply. color & personality. they are a fierce combo. |
| p.s... paper boy hats are to die for. |
and finally, i want to wrap up this post with a word about creative custom photography.
when you choose someone to photograph your wedding, your children, your senior pictures, your engagement or any other significant moment in your life, you are entrusting your most valuable possessions to their care. there are thousands of photographers with thousands of specialties. i want to encourage you to choose the right photographer for you. make sure that you are choosing someone who is authentic, who's style is consistent & truly matches up with your vision of how you want to be captured. if i am honest with myself, i know that i am not going to be the right fit for everyone who comes my way. i have turned down several commercial & personal photography commissions that would have paid really well but weren't the types of clients that i am best suited for. i want there to be no surprises for my clients when they see their photographs. i want them to expect something great out of me & i want to deliver greatness. i can't help it that i squeal during a shoot, that i ooh&ahh over my beautiful brides & that i encourage lots of smooching in front of the camera. it's who i am. it's what i love. it's why i'm smitten. i pour my heart and soul into my photographs and i want your friends to be drawn to your walls where you hang them. there are photographers out there just looking to make a quick buck & for those of you who have been jaded, i'm sorry. know that most of us are sharing a piece of ourselves with every click of the shutter.
there is nothing i love more than being able to create within a session! i want to better myself, my art & my skill by stretching my heart and mind as far as it can go to give you a unique and custom experience in front of the camera. i am blessed to do what i love, to use the gifts god has given me & share my passion with you. i hope that you'll forever be smitten when you look back on your photographs!
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Sep
28
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okie dokie.
i'm long overdue for an faq installment because i hate not personally answering emails from people who have photography-related questions! i will be making a good q&a post this week, but before i do that i wanted to announce something else that i am working on regarding the smitten photo academy!
i get emails from people in states across the US telling me that they wish they could come to a spa day here in nc. from what i can tell, there really aren't too many intro to digital SLR-workshop-type-classes around & most people who have taken classes at a community college or another type of facility still feel a little lost when it comes to meshing the eye and the technical stuff. and, as much as i wish i could pack my family up and visit fun cities around america, it really isn't likely in this stage of life. :)
so, here lies the answer! i am going to offer an online workshop that will be open to ANYONE, anywhere who has email & internet access! i will take the lessons that i teach in my four hour workshop and extend them over a 5 week period to give you the chance to do lots of practicing and really grasp the concepts of shooting in manual. this class has really been designed for beginner photographers who have a digital slr camera and want to learn how to turn off the auto setting. in the live workshop, we talk in detail about lighting, aperture, depth of field, focus, positioning & a host of other terms that you really need to know about to take the kinds of photos you will be excited about! i will share tips and tricks, camera settings, how to's and the best part is that all of this will be done over the world wide web!
i'm really excited about this opportunity to share knowledge with anyone who loves the art of photography and wants to take better photographs! period. the end :)
i'll be announcing more about this online workshop soon, so be on the lookout! and, because every post is better with a picture, and because i hope to inspire you to do something you LOVE, here is a perfect picture of love...
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lauren + mike: charlotte wedding photographer |
Sep
28
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lauren & mike's wedding was perfectly lovely in so many ways! the girls started out the day getting ready at the beautiful duke mansion with lots of natural light pouring in through the windows. it is so fun to see a bride with her best friends on the last hours before she gets married. the moments of anticipation that lead up to the ceremony are some of my favorite to watch. especially, the in between moments :) the ceremony was at belk chapel on the queens university campus. clearly, these two were surrounded with family and friends who completely and whole-heartedly love and believe in them. the reception at roof with a view was awesome and i was so excited to get to photograph the evening amidst the charlotte sky line! lauren & mike, thank you for allowing me to capture your amazing day! i'm honored to know you both and wish you all the best with your new marriage! |
| clearly, the guys rock. they all have iphones & were up for playing games with me :) |
| lauren glowed. literally, i thought she looked like an angel. |
| oh, black and white floors, how i love thee. and how i love when my brides are up for laying on said floor and rocking it out for the camera. stunning, lauren. |
| girls just want to have fun. and they did. |
| love these ceremony detail shots. |
| hello. nice to meet you beautiful couple. always be this much in love, k? |
| love the details & all the warm light at roof with a view! all of their personal touches were so beautiful! |
| some highlights from the celebration. i love, love, love the last shot overlooking the city. |
press play to see the rest of lauren & mike's amazing day!
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Sep
27
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it's what her daddy calls her. actually, he sings it to her & you should see the way campbell's face lights up when he does it. completely, precious.
travis and sara are awesome in my book. i photographed their heavenly wedding in the mountains last year and about six months later they found out they were expecting campbell! i've been soooo excited about this shoot because sara told me she had blocked off the top of their staircase for these pictures! it makes my heart do backflips when i see how my clients anticipate the day when their family's will be permanently recorded together - laughing, playing and loving life. so, without further ado, say hello to campbell! oh, she told me that she isn't responsible if you do what she is doing in this first picture :) |
| hellllo, sunshine. haven't seen it much around here in the last several weeks & right after this session it disappeared for the rest of the day! those who rise early get lucky. |
| this series is adorable. i love the way sara is looking at travis in the top right photo. |
| beautiful, beautiful family. |
| c: "seriously, everyone. i know i'm cute, just keep the photo shoot coming." |
| "yep, i am wayyyyy cute." |
| "i even do tricks & maybe one day i'll be a photographer!" |
| WHOA. this is my favorite of the day. she is perfect, the light is scrumptious and her outfit is to die for. |
| and then sara decided to take out the cutest outfit in all the land. pair it with the uggs & the vintage camera and you have favorite photographs for life. |
| campbell, don't ever grow up, k? |
| coming tomorrow...lauren + mike's incredible wedding & reception! it'll be like halloween came early - bringing lots of treats to your door :) |
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