Country Girl at Heart...

Ok... So I wonder how many of those that know me know that in my heart of hearts... in my really great daydreams... I am closing out the day on my deep front porch... overlooking lots of land... stars so bright in the dark sky...


... I am driving down a long driveway to get to our house... our kiddos are playing among the acres of land our house sits on... we are having bonfires with friends in the fall...


... the house doesn't need to be elaborate... rather simple, actually... but sitting on peaceful country land... Down deep this is a very "happy place" for me. :)


Recently a friend of our daughter, Gabrielle, took her horse back riding in the snow... those horses just rode and rode, kicking up snow... it was so peaceful to watch. The barn sat on lots of land... The girls returned with flush cheeks and completely delighted... can't do that in the city...


Lots of love,
Jamie

The Eyes... The Eyes!!

It is said that the eyes are the gateway to the soul...

When we capture a photograph where the eyes come to life, it is as if one can see right into the emotion, the depth of the individual...

That is why the eyes are so very important to me when I do any photograph... to make it one of my goals to capture life in the eyes... life and depth.

A photographer can have great ideas, creativity and even composition, but if the eyes are "flat" and no light is reflected there, the photograph will fall short.

Above is a great example of the way eyes can draw you into the photograph... its in the eyes!

Lots of love,

Jamie

Grateful...

There seems to be a theme that has been on my heart lately... a word that keeps coming to my mouth... GRATEFUL.

I hear myself giving my kids talks about how we need to be grateful... I hear myself talking to my husband about how we need to do better to help instill a grateful heart into our children. It is a big thing with me. Yet, the harder thing to look at is... AM I GRATEFUL?

Am I being an example to those around me of someone with a grateful heart? At the deep down soul of me... the part where no one but the Lord sees... am I truly grateful??

One thing that I hope you see woven throughout this blog is that although I love photography... LOVE IT... I am passionate about the Lord. I know that He is the most amazing artist of all! I pray with each session that He will bring to the surface all that He created and allow me to capture it with the passion and creativity that HE created it with!

So, why do I bring that up in a blog about being grateful? (here is where my hubby would think maybe I went off of on one of those bunny trails I tend to take... ha... but we always come around full circle, right, gals)? No, this wasn't a bunny trail... I brought the Lord up because I was reminded that when I spend more time with Him... know Him more and more... A grateful heart is an outflowing of that time together.

I know this is a photographers blog... but I also want you to see my heart... my life... to be real with you. I am a passionate gal, who loves a passionate God... and He has given me a passion to CAPTURE life through creative, clean, crisp perspective! Yea... I want a grateful heart... a deep deep gratitude tumblin' from my lips... reflected by my life.

lots of love!

Jamie

Icicles! The Delight of Children!

The snow has been falling for two straight days.

The kids have had two days off of school... SNOW DAYS!

They all went outside, even our three year old, and they have had so much fun! I look out and they are building little forts, sledding down a little hill, throwing snow balls...

Best of all, I hear them calling out to each other, "I found a giant icicle!!" They kept finding them, one bigger than the next. While our three year old was eating fistfuls of snow, our 13 year old sledding and laughing...the boys were lovin' their icicles!

We can learn from children. They delight in the simple things... they appreciate our Makers creativity in creation! After all, it was God who thought of the icicle and created it!

I love art... I always hope to incorporate it into my photographs... these icicles are a reminder to look to the greatest Artist of all.

Have a great day!

lots of Love,

Jamie

Wedding Storyboards

One of my favorite parts of a wedding is all of the detail that goes into planning the wedding...

So much thought... creativity... touches that show the personality of the bride and groom... Each wedding different than the other, but all of them absolutely FABUlOUS!

Here are a few examples of those details! Have a great time planning those weddings... you brides and grooms... and thank you for the honor of asking me to be there to document them for you!!

Lots of love!

Jamie

Beautiful brides!

I have NEVER met a bride who was not absolutely beautiful!!

The beauty is not only from the gorgeous dress, makeup and hair... It is from the joy that is just bubbling out from the inside! I think this is one of the reasons that I LOVE to shoot weddings. I can't help but smile the whole day (probably a little too much!) ha.

It is also the reason that I am so jazzed to capture even the tiniest details of the day... from the getting ready and having fun with the bridesmaids and groomsmen, to the end of the day and dancing the eve away!

Wedding season is fast approaching and I am so excited as I meet with my brides and work with them to make the day as fabulous as possible from the photography side of things!

I look forward to many more meetings and even more brides yet to call! Yea! I love what I get to do!

Lots of love!

Jamie

Glue and all that swirls around it...

My house... four kids, four voices, four bodies needing to bathe, four children's laundry to wash and fold... toys somehow ending up in every room... Laughing, crying, yelling, creating... Four kids to daily remind that they can do whatever they put their hearts to... Me, not perfect by far... too impatient some days, but lovin' em' like crazy!

At the eve of the day, my husband walks in the door... some days to calm, most days to chaos... but ALL days the kids rush to the door, "daddy!!!"

After all of the events of the eve, we tuck them in bed, and let out our breathe to relax... Then my eye goes to the table and I see that single stick of glue there... I smile as I am reminded that this season of life is so short and I need to be intentional... enjoy each piece of it... every one of these school supply shoppin', craft making... whirlwind days... Tomorrow opens yet another day.

I think I just may leave that little glue stick sittin' right there... yep, leave it there to remind me again tomorrow...

Lots of love all!

Jamie