Art, décor, family and photography- it's all part of me!
I'm so excited to share some of Monica's bridal images with you! We shot them on a super hot day in Fort Worth, and she was a total pro. I'll have wedding images for you very soon, too.
We started out at Trinity Park, which had some amazing light.
She had the image on the right displayed at the wedding reception in a gallery wrapped canvas. It looks gorgeous!
Then we moved to downtown Fort Worth, which was beginning to stir with nightlife. It was a great change of pace.
Since my intern-turned-employee Taylor has been around for a little over 3 months, I figured it was time to introduce her! She signed on with me for the summer to handle my extra load of wedding work, and after having her around for a while, I decided I needed to keep her, haha! She has been such an easygoing presence in the last few crazy-filled months, a quick learner, and her graceful and flexible attitude has been such a blessing to me and my business.
Taylor spends much of her time around here working on the post-processing of images (which isn't easy with very-particular-me standing over her shoulder). She's also turned into a fabulous album designer- and I have a lot more "jobs" in store for her as we get closer to the arrival of Baby Knox!
Isn't she pretty? I got to shoot her senior session not too long ago!
I gave her a little questionnaire to fill out, so you can get to know her a bit!
When did you become interested in photography?
My sophmore year in high school. My neighbor would let me come over to her house and edit random pictures that I had taken and eventually I became interested in the actual picture taking rather than just editing all the time. So, starting my junior and senior year in high school I took a photography class.
What's your favorite part about your job?
My hours are really flexible and the job is super laid back! We make Sonic runs a lot. But aside from that I've learned a lot about editing and gained a lot of skill when it comes to design. And Lissa is super fun to work with! (Haha- you had to say that!)
What's your least favorite thing? (Be nice! Haha)
Haha- honestly I hate the very beginning of editing a wedding when I have to sort through all of the pictures. There are usuallly 2000-3000 and it gets really tedious! I also hate when Lissa goes out of town and i'm sitting in her office for hours by myself. (Awww.) It's really hard to pay attention and i get soooo bored.
If you could have any job in the world, what would that be?
Ohhh goodness. Hmmm- I've always thought it would be cool to be a designer on Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Right now I'm really interested in counseling, so to be able to open up my own private practice would be way awesome.
Top three on your "Places to Travel" list.
I want to go to Italy sooo bad! Hmmm- The Bahama's are definitely on there- and NYC, which i've already been to- but it was amazing so I would love to go back!
Top three on your current playlist. (This is a BIG deal since we spent a LOT of time at the computer)
Oh my gosh I can't decide on this. I love music! I'm going to go with "If It Means a Lot To You" by A Day To Remember, "Hello, I'm in Delaware" by City and Colour, and "Your Love Never Fails" by Jesus Culture.
Your main indulgences.
Toms, playing my guitar, Jolly Ranchers, blended dirty chai from Sugar Browns, coffee shops (Sugar Browns and Starbucks), pumpkin spice lattes, mint tea, HOUSE, the bands City and Colour and Emarosa, vintage stuff, and taking pictures of course:) (especially in fields!)
Taylor has some pretty cool photography on her Flickr page (and hopefully soon she'll have a legit website of her own!).
I just got this pretty little award in from my fantastic album company, Forbeyon. They hosted a contest for their clients to create new and different album designs- the two grand prize winners received Apple iPads (totally worth entering for!). One morning I was able to submit a few ideas, and lo and behold, I won an honorable mention!
They sent me this crystal award along with a certificate for some company credit (yay!). So, this means I'll be getting a few new sample albums to show off. :)
Just a blurb about how great the staff at Forbeyon is:
Besides producing top-of-the-line products and offering new and different looks for my modern clients, they have been consistently attentive and helpful with each and every order. Not once have I had a question that was not responded to or an issue that they did not notice even before I did! My clients always ooh and aah when I whip out the album samples from Forbeyon, and I'm very proud to offer their books as a part of my overall product line.
Thanks again, Forbeyon!
Let me begin this post by saying that NOTHING about the words "maternity clothes" excited me when I found out I was pregnant. I had visions of miu-miu's and giant t-shirts that made a woman look rather cow-like.
This all changed when I discovered Isabella Oliver. I waited for a good sale and then ordered up a wrap shirt and another ruched top that would get me through the winter. When they arrived I was super happy with how they fit and the fact that I would be able to grow into them.
My sister, Lauren, has a fashion design degree and took one look at my wrap top and was able to completely reproduce it with some gorgeous Missoni fabric. I received this gem in the mail a couple days ago!
As you can see, the bottom half of the top wraps up to fit a growing belly. I was amazed that she was able to create it out of nothing!
Lauren also makes vintage-inspired lingerie and fine art which she sells through her Etsy store- Threads of Necessity. I'm sure with enough demand she might list some of these shirts as well!
P.S. This would be the first time I've posted my pregnant self- particularly because it is still a little unusual for me to see myself with a bump! I'm doing my best to embrace my Mommy-ness, though. This is me @ 6 months.
Trevor recently graduated from my alma mater WBU, and needed some images to commemorate it. We had a great time- and I didn't realize we had so much in common! Not only did he graduate from Wayland, but he cheered there as well (in fact, I shot some promo images for them back when he was on the squad). He loves Jesus, and goes to The Heights Fellowship as well. We talked a lot about his recent trip to Europe- I was teeming with jealousy the whole time- what an adventure!
Now THIS is some enthusiasm! Awesome!
There are just some people I want to hang out with all day- Joe + Kelsi are some of them! They were so much fun- totally easygoing- up for anything. They way they love each other is so evident in the way they look at one another. I, of course, loved it! I was already booked for their wedding date, but after this session, I would clone myself if I could! Hope you enjoy these images as much as I do.
I've decided to add a new feature to my little blog- it's called "Lissa Likes"! Basically, it's just a gathering of pretty, nice things that have been catching my eye lately. It could also include anything I've been appreciative as of late. Hope you enjoy this little insight into my world!
I've got a vast array of things to "like" today- topping off the list with
1. Shotguns. Really. I am not kidding. Our home security system went off this morning about 5:00 a.m., and it was the first thing I thought about- that and the husband that was suddenly carrying it around the house, hoping not to find any intruders. Thankfully, it was a false alarm- the door to our garage had gone ajar- juuuust enough to set the house into hysterics. Needless to say, I am a little sleepy today and very thankful for my "backup" security system.
2. Salt and Espresso. Together. Call it a pregnancy craving, but nothing has satisfied my tummy lately like a little coffee (preferably cold, and usually decaf) paired with some greasy french fries. I know this romance will end in a few short months, but until then, I'm indulging like never before.
3. Friends that give like no one else. It seems like lately I have been so blessed with friends that have chosen to give their used baby things, time, and sympathy (when my main computer completely crashed a few weeks ago). I know that a computer is just a piece of equipment, but when you spend as much time on it as I do (my job is 90% computer, 10% shooting), it sure is nice to have someone genuinely care about the situation. Baby Knox is also accumulating a lot of wonderful things passed down from friends and family that I am getting so excited to use! The thoughtfulness of others amazes me.
4. Cardboard Safari. The moment I saw some of these at a little shop in Taos a few months ago, I knew we had to get one for the baby room. Maybe I knew it was a boy even then! We are leaning toward the Rhino in the natural brown, but I do like the way this white contrasts against the dark wall.
5. New Music. Having my intern Taylor around has opened my eyes to lots of new sounds lately. My summer playlist has consisted mostly of Phoenix, Parachute, MGMT, The Classic Crime, Christy Nockles and some random ones like Peter, Bjorn and John and Almost Alice, the "Alice in Wonderland" soundtrack.
6. New Videos. The OKGO video was shared with me by Alex M. and Taylor showed me the T-Shirt Wars stop motion. Pretty cool!
7. Fall! This is quickly becoming my favorite season. Pumpkin spice lattes, that crisp smell in the air, getting to wear scarves and hats- I love it! Of course, it always inspires new knitting projects- even more so since I discovered Ravelry. I've already got a head start on Christmas gifts! It's also my favorite time to shoot- the leaves are changing, and although I miss those extended hours of summer sunlight, I can't get enough of those warm yellows and oranges from the trees this time of year. Here is an image from Michelle and Edgar's wedding last November.
8. Voluspa Candles. If you're here in Lubbock, you can get them at Chrome. I haven't found one yet that I didn't love. Right now I'm burning Makassar Ebony & Peach. Yum. I'm convinced somehow they make me a better photographer. Or maybe just a little happier to be sitting at a desk.
Hope you enjoyed the first edition of Lissa Likes!
Oh, how I love a good outdoor wedding! This one was on an especially gorgeous day in August at Country Home Weddings in Canyon. Add in a fantastic bride and groom, and some delicious cake- and you've got a great wedding. Wes + Rhonda were so fabulous to work with- both have a great sense of humor and more than anything that day- they were ready to finally be married! I was so glad I got to capture it. Here are some of my favorites from their day:
For the photographers out there- the fill light on the front of the rings is courtesy of an Altoids can I had in my Shootsac! It makes a nice little reflector!
I mentioned when I blogged their engagement session that Wes is a stormchaser- so of course we had to get some with the gorgeous clouds that night.
Annnnd what's more appropriate than a tornado cake?!? I loved this one- check out the strawberry cows!
I hadn't met Luke or Julie until last week when I drove to Borger to photograph their 1 week old son, Jackson. All I knew was that they were incredible people- something that had been repeated to me over and over my my family members that had spent time with them. I arrived at their house to find they were exactly right! This new little family is so precious- and of course it was neat for me to get to see new parents with a little boy. They'll actually be starting a whole new adventure in Alaska soon- which I'm sure will be a stage of life they'll never forget! Thanks so much for having me in your home to photograph this precious one!
(If you can't tell- Luke and Julie have some strong feelings for their alma mater!)
Julie's parents were there so of course we had to get a few with them.
The Fancy Booth is back! Here are some of my favorites from their reception-