This may have been my hottest engagement session ever. 113 degrees. Thankfully, Michelle and TJ are just about the most easy-going couple I’ve ever met and I hope these images reflect their awesome laid-back personalities, but most of all their love and admiration for each other.

My goal is to provide my clients with the best possible product and the exact album that they want and to keep the whole process as simple as possible.

We have three album lines at Cristi Owen Photography: Classic, Couture, and Modern.

The Classic: These albums have solid covers and come in four sizes: 8×10, 10×10, 11×14, and 12×12.  Here are the color/fabric/leather options offered:

The Couture: These albums are the same album as the Classic, but with more options for your cover. Custom options include: dual color, metal photo on cover, and imprint on spine.

The Modern: These albums provide the option of purchasing copies of the main album at a discounted price. These are great gifts for the parents.

The main album cover can be a metal cover with a photo or a leather cover with a photo die-cut. The names and date on the cover are optional. Sizes include 8×12 or 8×8, 9.5×13 or 9.5×9.5, and 12×16 or 12×12. Parent copy sizes include 8×12 or 8×8, 6×8 or 6×6 (sold as set of 2), and 4×5 or 4×4 (sold as a set of 4).

A. Main album with black leather cover with die-cut photo and debossed names and wedding date.

B. Main album with photo metal cover and printed names and wedding date.

c. Parent copy of leather album. Linen cover with photojacket.

I feel so so special to be invited back into my clients lives to document the arrival of their little ones. I photographed Aimee and Loreto’s wedding last year in St. Louis and I was so excited when they announced they were expecting their first baby. Today I got to meet little Aden. He’s just such a perfect little boy.

Aimee and Loreto, thank you so much for the honor of photographing Aden. I hope you treasure these images forever.

Krista and Kelby, once again, thank you for the honor of photographing your beautiful wedding.

If you would like to see more of Krista and Kelby’s wedding, click here.

The preparations started at the salon and the girls finished getting ready at Tassie’s aunt’s place – who happens to be my mother-in-law .

This may be my favorite picture I’ve taken in a while:

No kidding, this image is from their first look. Completely candid. And yes, I cried during their first look. It was so touching.

The cute couple pre-ceremony:

And the whole crew. What a handsome bridal party!

They pretty much made my heart melt during the ceremony:

The priest who married Tassie’s parents said a special blessing for their rings:

I thought it was really great how the intentionally only put the ring on each other’s finger half-way, allowing the other person to put it on all the way as a symbol of their mutual commitment to each other.

After the ceremony we made a pit-stop at a local burger place called Richwines Burgerville (my favorite burger place). Smart couple as the bride and groom rarely get a chance to eat at the reception.

They did it!

The reception was beautiful in true Montana style. TJ & TJ, I hope you are having so much fun on your honeymoon. Love you!

The first stop on our road trip was Multnomah Falls. If you are ever around that area, you should make a point to go there too. It was sooo beautiful!P.S. The awful beard the guys are sporting have a purpose. One of their cousins is getting married this summer and ridiculous facial hair is required for the bachelor party. I’m counting down the days.

Yes, I took a lot of photos, but I promise this is the last one I will post :The second stop was this really cool fast food place, called Burgerville. I’m not sure if they have them in other states, but I loved it. The food is awesome and they seem to be very environmentally friendly. Super bonus

And then we made it to the coast. Ahhhhhh. We stayed at this amazing vacation rental called Splendor by the Sea, and you should definitely check it out. It was perfect! We had the most amazing view and we could see seals jumping in the water while eating dinner. Pretty fun

We spent most of our time going for walks, playing board games, watching World Cup matches, playing soccer on the beach, and we took turns making dinner.  We also had a bonfire at the beach which included s’mores and a Lady Gaga dance party.

And then there are priceless moments like these when there’s nothing left to do but laugh until you cry:

I love the fog:

And while it was super entertaining to watch the boys attempting to surf in the frigid water, Melissa and I decided to check out all the cool sea life. I had never seen so many starfish before and to be completely honest, I didn’t know there were so many different colors.

The next day we drove to Newport to check out the seals, buy salt water taffy and have some yummy seafood.

Loved watching these guys and I got a seal ornament for my Christmas tree to remember this awesome trip.

It’s a miracle I can keep images in focus with these two on the other side of the lens.

If you’ve been to the Oregon Coast, you’ve probably been to Mo’s and you are probably craving their clam chowder right about now.

And of course, the best part of the trip was to get to spend time with this little princess:

I know I’m extremely blessed to have the best in-laws in the world and I definitely don’t take if for granted.

And back in April I photographed a wedding at DC Ranch Country Club with Jennifer Bowen. What a gorgeous venue! All the details were impeccable too. Here are a couple of shots from Steve and Mirav’s wedding day:

Now I’m going back to my vacation . Pictures of our fun time here to come soon!

And I am pleased to announce the arrival of birth announcements to Cristi Owen Photography. With so many of my brides and grooms growing their families, I felt this was a must add on to my products.

I am absolutely in love with photographing newborns and I think you should be able to show off your perfect bundle of joy to your family and friends.

The announcements are 5×7 flat custom designed cards and come in sets of 25 with white envelopes for $75. You can print front and back or just front.

Here’s the Back:So fun!

It was a super hot day out but these girls were troopers as well as Kristin & Chad, our models for the day. I didn’t shoot a lot, but I thought I should share some of the images of this super sweet couple. Thank you two so much!

If you are interested in attending a Fancy Camera Workshop, please e-mail me at cristi@cristiowen.com or leave a comment below. Thanks and I’ll see you soon

Krista and Kelby, thank you for welcoming me into your home once again, and for allowing me to document Lawson’s cuteness!

I’m pretty sure this is a smile:Kelby’s one request:You may remember this chair from their maternity session Thanks, guys and I will see you in 6 months! Can’t wait!

I chose a few of the bouquets from weddings I photographed last year and this year to help all the brides out there who are looking for ideas for bridal bouquets.

This one is from Mirav and Steve’s wedding which I shot with Jennifer Bowen (and have not blogged yet). I love how soft and delicate it is but the “bling” around the ribbon adds a touch of “drama”:

Left: from Nicole and Adam’s wedding: very classic and elegant and the deep color in the orchids complemented the bridesmaid dresses so well.

Right: from Colleen and Brad’s wedding: I love the organic feel of this one. The mix of color, the variety of flowers, and different heights give it the just- picked-from-the-garden look, which I love. from Nicole & Chris’ wedding: the orange is so vibrant and the broach adds a whimsical personal touch to the bouquet.from Mary & Bret’s wedding: a simple and sweet mix of roses. And the ribbons around the stem tie in to the wedding’s color scheme.from Leslie & Danny’s wedding:  this one is so feminine and delicate. The stems completely wrapped in ribbon is a nice luxurious detail.Left: from Kristina and Brian’s wedding: roses and orchids similar to Nicole and Adam’s, but with darker hues which look stunning against a white dress.

Right: from Krista & Kelby’s wedding: a mix of roses similar to Mary and Bret’s but the addition of the greenery gives it a more organic feel.from Kristin and Brian’s wedding: this bouquet reminded me of some of the bridal bouquets I saw in Italy. They are smaller in size than the American bouquets and had very unique flowers.from Emily and Matt’s wedding. I shot this wedding in Alabama with Amelia Strauss and I fell so in love with the pink, furry-looking leaves that when I first posted this picture I asked what they are called and a few blog readers chimed in and I guess there are a couple of different names for it: celosia or coxcombs.Left: from Kelly & Panos’ wedding: such a striking mix of colors. It has the same super cool flower as Nicole and Chris. Again, not a florist. No idea what the name of the flower is. Can anyone help?

Right: from Aimee & Loreto’s wedding: another mix of roses and orchids but in a more monochromatic look than Adam and Nicole’s or Kristina and Brian’s.  Speaking of monochromatic… Love the all white bridal bouquet from Amanda and Ryan’s wedding. This one has a little bit of sass with a tiny bit of green here and there and the copper leaves make it so perfect for a fall wedding. These leaves were actually placed upside down on the bouquet so the bottom is the green top part of the leaf. Such a great idea!This is from the wedding I shot with Kimberly Jarman at the Valley Ho. Erica’s bouquet with the deep red and black feathers has a very 50′s glamorous look to it. But the best part about this one is that the bride pinned her mother’s necklace to the bouquet. The berries on this one just make me happy! It’s another roses and orchids combo, but it’s so fun to see how all the bouquets look so different with the slightest changes even when the main flowers are the same. This is from Brittany and Dave’s wedding I shot with Megan Resch.Left: from Christina and Eric’s wedding. So simple and beautiful. The mix of the colors in the calla lilies is very eye-catching.

Right: from Sheli and Joe’s wedding. Although they were married in January, I think this would also be another perfect bridal bouquet for a fall wedding.

Johnna is from Tennesse and one of the sweetest girls I’ve ever met. Besides, her accent reminds me of my awesome friend Shea, so I pretty much felt like we were BFF’s instantly! And Byron and I bonded over the fact that his roommate in college was from Brazil and we even exchanged some words in Portuguese. You two were so much fun! Thank you for an awesome afternoon.

And we also got to take a few shots inside their beautiful home. I love it how Johnna brought the southern charm to Arizona!

Thanks again you two! I will be thinking about y’all while you are in Turks in Caicos . Enjoy it!

During Roushan and Tony’s session, I, for example, learned that Tony is not a big fan of getting dirty. And since I had them lay on the ground, sit on dirty pipes and lean on filthy walls, I’m pretty sure he’s not one of my biggest fans. But I also learned that he will do anything for Roushan as he did all of the above with a big smile on his face. And after all that, I think it’s safe to say Roushan is most definitely his biggest fan.

I also happened to learn that Roushan photographs like a supermodel. I cannot wait to photograph her as a bride!

I met them at their house today and it was so fun to see my photos all over their walls. Besides, Krista has super great taste and an awesome eye for decorating. Just wait until I go back for newborn photos and you get to see the baby’s room. So perfect!

For now, you can enjoy their cuteness:

Krista, you are beautiful and pregnancy looks really good on you I’m super excited that I get to go back for Lawson’s newborn, 6 months and 1 year old pictures. I feel like the first year of your first child is probably one of the most remarkable years of a couple’s life and how fun to be able to document it all and display it in an album to look back on and share with your family, friends and your children as they grow.

I’m announcing the next date for my Fancy Camera Workshop… May 30th!

This workshop is for everyone who owns a Fancy Camera (one with a manual setting) and would like to know all about it and take much better pictures with it. If you want to purchase this as a gift to someone, I can mail you a gift certificate for the workshop! This would be an awesome Mother’s Day gift.

This will be my third workshop, and I’ve made some fun changes based on the suggestions from previous attendees. Here’s the gist of it:

AM: I will talk your ears off! We will cover the technical stuff and the fun stuff with plenty of time for questions.

noonish: We will eat lunch

early PM: We will go out and practice everything we discussed in the morning. I will have “models” for a mock photoshoot, but I will also have the attendees photograph each other. This will give everyone a chance to take control over lighting/background/composition and practice directing their own models, as well as give everyone some new pictures for their facebook profile

PM: I will show you all my images, pick a few favorites, post-process one or two images and then give everyone time to go through their images. You will pick two or three favorites, post-process them and we will have a group critique of everyone’s images.

Yes, it’s a really long day, full of learning, lots of laughing, sharing and more learning. I hope you are excited to join me! There are 10 spots open.

What is it?

A workshop to help you take full advantage of your fancy camera. You know, the camera you paid a lot of money for and have been using on auto, AV or TV and not getting the results you want (or should be getting) by using your M (manual) setting.

Here’s an overview of our day together:

• Introductions
• The Technical Stuff (exposure)
• The Fun Stuff (compositional elements)
• Equipment: What’s What
• LUNCH (included)
• Assignment/Hands-on Practice Outside
• Post Processing
• Sharing of Images/Critique
• Q&A

Who is it for?

Anyone who has a fancy camera and wants to take better pictures.

When is it?

May 30th, 2010 | 9 am to 7 pm

Where is it?

Chandler, AZ.

How much?

$110

How many people?

I want everyone attending to get all their questions answered, so there is a maximum of 10 attendees at the workshop.

What do I need to bring?

• Notebook and something to write with
• Any digital camera will work as long as it has a M (manual) mode
• Your Camera’s Manual
• Don’t forget your camera’s digital memory card (CF, SD, MMC, xD, MS, MD, SM)
• Don’t forget to charge your camera’s battery
• A card reader or your camera’s cable to download photos
• A laptop (very helpful if you have one, but not mandatory)
• If you don’t have photoshop, you can download a free trial version prior to the workshop

Want to read about the other two Fancy Camera Workshops?

Click here, here, or here.

Want to sign up or want more details?

Email me at cristi@cristiowen.com

**EDIT: Hi everyone, the Fancy Camera Workshop for May 30th has been sold out. If you are interested in attending a Fancy Camera Workshop, please email me and I can notify you when the next date is announced. Thanks so much!**

Orange being my favorite color, I couldn’t be more excited about the color scheme Nicole chose for her wedding and pretty paper makes me happy:Nicole was a beautiful bride (and please take note of those fabulous shoes):

Her dress is from Lillian Lottie by Casablanca

I also loved the dresses she picked for her bridesmaids. It’s such a unique color. The dresses are from Lillian Lottie and the designer is Love by Enzoani.

Their First Look was so touching:

I think there’s a chance Nicole may have liked her gift:

The happy couple before the ceremony:

So many gorgeous details! And their idea for the escort cards was so unique. Each table was named for its flower centerpiece and the guests names were pinned next to not only the name of flower but the flower itself. Beautiful and unique. And the hanging crystals and flower vases were to die for!

Yes, that’s a proud father

Chris got a little choked up as Nicole walked down the aisle:This moment right after their first kiss says so much:

And this moment gets to me each and every time.

We just couldn’t pass up the beautiful light so we took a few more portraits after the ceremony:

And it’s time to celebrate! Here are some of the flower specific centerpieces I mentioned earlier. So clever! Their reception was filled with touching and funny toasts, happy friends, supportive families, a lot of hugs, smiles, plenty of dancing, and lots and lots of love:Vendors:

Officiant: Mike Kennedy

Florist: Noble Flower Shop

Invites: The M Press

Cake: La Dolce Pesca

DJ: Ray the DJ

Hair: Dolce Salon

Make-up: Sara Painter

Videographer: Taken

What a gorgeous couple!Christen, happy birthday! I can’t wait to see you guys again in a few months

If I had to get married tomorrow in Nicole’s wedding gown and shoes I’d be more than happy to. Her wedding gown from Mariee by Junko Yoshioka was so simple with subtle details in all the right places. And can I say that I’m in love with the bolero that goes with it? Wow! So gorgeous! (scroll down for photos of the bolero). And you can probably see it, but just in case, the stunning strappy sandals are Badgley Mischka.I have a soft spot for sister relationships as I absolute adore my own sister and can’t imagine my life without her in it. Mandy was getting ready to help Nicole put her shoes on but they just had to stop and share a hug first, because that’s what sisters do.Nicole all ready to go and looking stunning! And here’s that bolero I mentioned earlier. Wow, right?!Nicole’s bridesmaids were so much fun! If you feel like you recognize lower half number one on the left, that’s my bride Kristina and lower half number three is Gina, who was also Kristina’s bridesmaid! It was so much fun to see them again. Their adorable dresses are from Twirl by Jenny Yoo and the shoes are from Nine West. Adam and Nicole had a first look which allowed us to get some portraits of them before the ceremony at Sanctuary:We then left for the Brophy Chapel for their ceremony. I don’t think they could have possibly been any happier And I’d love to say a big thank you to Ann Marie at Brophy Chapel. She was just so helpful and sweet to me. I’m truly thankful.

A few more photos at Brophy Chapel and Sanctuary:Nicole’s jewelry complemented everything so perfectly. Her bracelet was custom made by Lani.

The flowers and centerpieces were done by Table Tops Etc and I’m sure it goes without saying it but aren’t these gorgeous?! The pale pink and blush colors really softened the black and white color scheme. The cake was by Julia Baker Confections and sadly I never got to have a piece, but it looked stunning and I’m sure it was delicious.The first dance always says it all and these two are in for a really fun life together!Isn’t it sweet how these two were holding hands while watching the dances and toasts? Nicole’s dad’s speech spoke so strongly of their father-daughter relationship which made watching their dance even more special:Rocklobster is the best 80′s band in Arizona. They are awesome and really know how to get a party going. Jeff Bills with Serendipity was their videographer and said he caught me dancing on film. Ooops! But when the party is this much fun I can’t help but join in. But don’t worry I’ve mastered the whole shooting while dancing thing .Dear Nicole and Adam, your wedding was so full of love and joy! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it. I am sure you are having a blast on your honeymoon and I hope you enjoy your images.

The whole day took place at The Fairmont Princess Scottsdale and I learned that they are one of the few venues in Arizona that provide kosher meals.

Danny’s wedding day gift to Leslie. I especially loved his note to Leslie:

Leslie reminds me of Jennifer Connelly. Isn’t she gorgeous?!

Here’s proof that you can get exactly what you want with a little determination. Leslie found the perfect dress but it was sleeveless and with an open back.  She bought is anyways and had it altered to make sure it was appropriate for her ceremony but still fit her taste. I couldn’t believe how perfect it looked! I must remember to get her seamstress’ number!

Such a simple moment, yet so special. This is Leslie’s brother checking out her wedding ring:And the veil goes on! Leslie truly had the “bridal glow”

During the first part of the ceremonies, men and women start the celebration in separate rooms. During the men’s celebration (the Tisch), among other things, the tana’im and ketubah are signed. There is also some drinking and singing. Both mothers are also allowed to crash the “boys only party” for a few minutes when they come in and brake a plate together to signify the binding nature of the conditions.

Here’s Danny at the Chatan’s Tisch:

And here’s Danny on his way to the Bedekin where he gets to see Leslie for the first time and place the veil over her face:I love Leslie’s reaction (and everyone else’s!) as she gets to see Danny for the first time! Danny with his parents right after seeing Leslie:And off he goes to the ceremony escorted by his friends:Leslie and her dad right before the ceremony:The wedding ceremony:Their chupah was absolutely beautiful. It had intertwined vines which I noticed was also represented on their ketubah:I find the breaking of the plate so exciting!

Woo-hoo! They are married. I was expecting a kiss but there wasn’t one. However, the smiles on their faces here are just as special!After the ceremony the bride and the groom get to have some private time called Yichud.Once they come back, it’s time to celebrate! The dance floor was divided down the middle. The girls got to dance on one side and the guys on the other side. I have to say the boys’ side was a little crazier!

Danny and Leslie then got to sit down on their sides of the dance floor and watch their guests perform for them:Danny’s mom and Leslie’s mom had a special little skit prepared:After dinner Leslie and Danny did get to dance together The celebration concluded with the same seven blessings (Sheva Brachot) that were recited during the ceremony:Once the party was over we got to go back outside and take a little time for portraits of the bride and groom:I really loved Danny’s rhinoceros cuff links! So cool! They are from Banana Republic.Thank you two so much! I really loved being a part of your day. I hope you are having a great time in Maui! Mazel Tov!

This past Friday I met up with Ryan and Teri for their engagement session in Phoenix and it was such a beautiful day! These two have such a laid-back attitude, I could have shot them all day! Thank you for your trust in me and for just going along with everything. I love your images and I hope you do too!

Teri is such a striking beauty:

Favorite:Thanks you two for a lovely afternoon.

Kristen and Nick, thank you so so much for putting up with me being sick and for making it so fun!

I started the day with Colleen and her girls at the Marriott in Old Town Scottsdale:Allison Pynn was her make-up artist. She was great and so prepared! She even had a bag full of straws. I was impressed.Her beautiful wedding gown was from Demetrios in Scottsdale:Loved her Calvin Klein wedding sandals:Oooooh it’s time for the dress:Love this moment:A keepsake from the girls:Reading a card from Brad:It’s okay to be a little jealous, Colleen looked stunning!Their first look was so special. And even though Brad was initially against seeing each other before the ceremony and a little hesitant about the whole thing, his exact words were: “I’m so glad we did this!”. Yay My favorite image of the day:Loved all their bouquets by Flowers with Flair:

Such a sweet moment right before the ceremony:

Let the party begin!So many great moments! Colleen and Brad, thank you for trusting me so much and for making me a part of your day. I appreciate it more than I can put into words.

Words cannot explain what a wonderful time I had with these two. I’m in Montana this week and yesterday I got to photograph Tassie & TJ.

Tassie & TJ were the winners of my Montana Summer Wedding Giveaway and I cannot wait for their wedding! I’ve known Tassie for a while and I absolutely love her and it was so great to get to know TJ a little better. I’m sure glad the contest rules did not exclude friends and family from entering . They are such a wonderful couple and I really enjoyed our day together. There’s nothing better than to have clients who trust me 100% and are happy to just have fun and focus on each other while I snap away. Thanks, guys!

We started our session downtown Polson. It was really cold and my fingers were frozen, but it was so fun!

Then Tassie gave me some gloves and we moved down to the the docks:

Tassie has always wanted a claddagh ring and TJ  got this one all the way from Ireland. It’s so special to her. He’s a special guy

They are getting married July 11.

We got back in the car to warm up for a little bit and drove to this field for some more fun photos:

TJ is a football player so I though it would be fun for them to play for a little bit. Love these photos!

On the way back we stopped along the way for a couple more photos:

Then Tassie and TJ changed and we went back out just for a little bit longer:

We pretty much laughed the entire time

This is one of my all-time favorite photos:

One last one walking back to the car:

And a sneak peek of their wedding post-card:Tassie & TJ, I hope you know how happy I am for you two and how much I appreciate your willingness to go along with my ideas and for being so much fun and easy going. I love you guys and I am so happy I get to photograph your wedding. Thanks for reading my blog and entering the contest .

Isn’t she just precious?! And look at this cute little smile.

Daniela didn’t want to be in any of the pictures but I sneaked this one and it’s just too sweet not to share:

Dani, I love you and I am so happy for you. I can’t wait to hold her again

Tassie and TJ:

Here are some excerpts from their entry:

Their story:

T.J. and I met while attending the University of Idaho.  T.J. was a football player and I was on the track team so we saw each other around the athletic facilities several times before we officially met. While at a mutual friend’s house, T.J. started up a conversation with me. We talked that night for over 2 hours.  We talked about religion, family, morals/values, sports, and life ambitions.  We even found out that we had the same initials (T.J.).  That part has been very confusing for us since we both get called T.J. by our families.  I gave him and a friend a ride home that night and after I dropped him off I felt great.  This was the kind of person I had been looking for.  I knew that I wanted to end up with someone just like him.

We were becoming better friends all the time. One night after a long conversation I told T.J. that I thought he might be my “soul mate.”  To my surprise he didn’t run away at that.  The problem was that I was moving back to Montana so we knew nothing was going to happen.  It “happened” that T.J. and I were going to both be in Spokane for New Year’s Eve.  Just before Christmas I received a dozen roses with a note saying that he couldn’t wait to see me in Spokane.  We spent New Year’s together that year.

The proposal:

For our 4 year anniversary this New Year’s Eve after dinner T.J. asked me to walk over to a gazebo with him which was across a bridge.  I agreed even though it was snowing and I was not dressed for the weather.  I had purchased a new pair of red suede high heels, they were cute but not made for the snow or walking.  But I made the trek with only a couple of near falls.  When we got over to the gazebo T.J. started to tell me how he couldn’t imagine life without me and how he was glad that we are so perfect for each other.  He said that I was his soul mate and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.  Then before I knew what was happening he was down on one knee asking me to marry him.  I of course started to cry and asked if he was serious.  He said he was and I just started hugging and kissing him.  He reminded me that I hadn’t answered him yet and I told him of course I would marry him.  So he put a ring on my finger and made it official.  By the way the ring is amazing.  It is from Ireland and it is a claddagh ring.  Did I mention that it has 34 diamonds.  It is so perfect for me and it symbolized our whole relationship.  I am the happiest person in the whole world to get to be marring my “soul mate.”  We really are meant for each other and I knew it from the first time we talked.   I don’t think life gets much better than that!!!!

Their wedding:

We will be having 400-500 guests and a lot of this is because we both come from big Irish Catholic families.  Our reception is being held in an airplane hanger  because there isn’t anything else big enough to hold that many people.  It is going to be simple but a lot of fun.

Tassie and TJ, I am soo excited to be photographing your wedding for you. Congratulations and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Yesterday I met up with Breckin and Alex for their engagement session. I am so thrilled to have the honor to photograph their wedding. Last year, I photographed Breckin’s sister’s wedding (Rachelle & Jordan) and Alex’s sister’s wedding (Christina & Eric), isn’t that so fun?! I feel like I know they whole family already

I usually suggest to couples two outfits for their session, one casual and one a little dressier. I joked with Breckin that they had a super dressy outfit and an extra dressy outfit… Her response? “Don’t let the fancy dress fool ya, we are up for anything!”. Don’t you just love her?!

Breckin and Alex, thank you!! And happy Valentine’s Day <3

For a while, I felt like I had to keep working hard to get to one specific place. A place I could stop and say, I’ve arrived.  In some sense, I felt like I was starting out late and had to catch up. Something similar to a marathon with a finish line. And then it hit me that I don’t want to ever be finished, I don’t want to cross that line. Not only because that would mean it’s over, but also because I’ve finally realized that place doesn’t exist. Instead, I decided to thoroughly enjoy my run, to keep a steady pace, and maybe even slow down some times to really take it all in.  And a few sprints are fun too. I’m just looking forward to it all, and this does not mean I don’t have a direction in mind. I do. But instead of focusing on a final destination, I am now happy to know this will be a multi-destination journey. Kinda liberating, isn’t it?I had a lovely lunch with an amazing photographer and dear friend today. While catching up on what’s going on in our lives, naturally work came up. I shared with Melissa Jill the lessons I’ve been learning and how blessed I feel to realize that God has been guiding me all along to the place where I’m at now. I have also been given some big lessons that I just need to have trust in Him and faith in Him. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I have at times worried. Worried that things might not work out. Shame on me!Don’t get me wrong. Hard-work and determination are super important, but I can’t forget to have faith. Faith is quite possibly the best cure for stress and anxiety

Recently someone asked me on formspring “How did you muster up the courage to quit your job and follow your dream? What advice do you have to someone in overcoming that fear?” I answered the question, but I don’t think I was able to convey what I was really thinking. However, during our conversation today, Melissa pretty much summed it all up and I think this would have been a much better answer to that question: “Weather you are working for somebody else, a big corporation or for yourself, the one providing for you is always God”. She is much more eloquent than I am. Anyways, the truth is I never really stopped being afraid, I just took a leap of faith. And yes, I did receive a few nudges from those around me who love me.

Thinking about framing the next two and hanging them side by side:One of the main reasons why I cherish my clients so much? Because I know they are hand-picked for me. The first time I met with a client who didn’t book me, I was sad. I liked them. Why didn’t it work out? I analyzed everything I said, everything I did. I was determined to learn from this. I wanted every client I liked to like me back.  I now know, I certainly cannot be the right photographer for every client, so I just have to be myself, do my best, let it go and be happy that it’s really not up to me. It’s great knowing that what’s meant to be will be!Success. Do you have your own definition? How do you know you’ve succeeded? Can it be measured by the number of comments on your blog? By how much money you make? By how others perceive you? Do you have to be famous to be successful?

To me success is synonym with happiness. My number one marker of success is how happy my clients are. The happier they are, the happier I am. And that’s what I work for. What would make you happy? Define it, achieve it and be the happiest version of yourself Any journey is more fun when the people I love are with me. Enjoying my own journey is great, but I can’t forget to share in my friends’ journeys as well, sacrifices included . The more I give, the more gratifying it is.

The more I do what I love, the more in love with it I am. I give it my all each and every time and I hope it shows. I know not everyone may see it, but I’m grateful for those who do. Thank you for the encouragement and the much needed “nudges”.This post in itself is a leap of faith. A “nudge-less” leap. Maybe I’m learning.