Tonight we had fun with light!
Julie’s daughter Bri and her cousin Brittany were up for a little experiment that I first tried with Brianna last night.
Take a look at the result of our experiments:
All Things Julie Lawson! November 29, 2008
Time is flying by so quickly on my trip to Indiana to see Julie of Julie Lawson Photography. I’m going to be so sad to head back to NJ on Wednesday and leave her and her truly wonderful family! I’ve been enjoying my time here and it will be so hard to go home!
Today we did Senior Portraits of her niece Kayla at the old High School/Middle School in her town. We had such a fun time taking photos as a team (and catching candids of each other)!
We wish we could join together and form J&J Studios…if only we lived closer!!!
Check out Julie in action!
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Brianna (Julie’s Daughter) captured this one of Julie taking a photo of me taking a photo of Kayla which I got a kick out of:
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I’ve only edited a handful of Kayla’s Senior portraits but this one is her favorite out of the few that I shared with her so far:
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Later this evening we did some portraits in Julie’s home studio. Julie took my portraits and I took hers. I also took some of her and Brianna as well as her daughter Emmalie in her Christmas dress (but I haven’t edited those yet).
I’ve been tiring Julie out since I got here with late nights sine I arrived (I’m a night owl and Julie is an early bird but we work well together even so). Since it was getting late when we started Julie’s portraits I didn’t get as many of Julie as I wanted to.
I want to take more of her before I go home so she has a variety of photos to choose from. Hopefully I can convince her to let me (hint hint Julie!)
I’ve been working on laptop to edit photos and things seem to look a lot different than they do on my home computer so I hope these photos of Julie look as great as I think they do to all of you!
I went with a soft effect for these. I haven’t done many like this but I was in the mood for something ethereal tonight and Julie is a perfect subject for the effect.
If you’ve been over to Julie’s blog http://julielawsonphotography.wordpress.com/ and the pink shirt & necklace look familiar to you…that’s because Julie and I both wore the ensemble for some of our portraits! We couldn’t help it! We both look good in pink! LOL! 
Look at Julie’s beautiful eyes in this one!!
I’m going to call this one “Sassy Julie” even if she laughs at me for doing so! 
I promise there will be more to come throughout the trip so stay tuned! I’m off to bed since we have an early day tomorrow of touring around Mansfield and Bridgeton to see the Christmas displays. Looking forward to it and of course we’ll share the photos with you!!
Jen Takes on Indy! Day 1 November 28, 2008
Arriving at Newark airport…so excited!
Terminal 92 to Indy!
Waiting to board the plane!
Waiting for take off!
Finally after almost 2 years we meet in person!!
Me and Emmalie waiting for my suitcase!
Bri and her funny face (as usual)
And a little entertainment by Emmalie when we got home:
Tomorrow we’re doing a Senior shoot and Julie’s family portraits! Looking forward to sharing more of our adventures in indy!
Jen’s Big Adventure Part I November 28, 2008
It’s finally here!
Part I of Jen’s Big Adventure across the US!
Tomorrow I will be boarding my flight headed for Indiana to see Julie!
Julie and I have been friends for almost 2 years through a forum we’re both a member of and it’s amazing how close we got over the last year. I’m so excited to finally meet her in person and spend time in her neck of the woods with her and her family!
I will be updating my blog with our adventures while I’m there (along with my Twitter and Facebook status).
I head back to Jersey on Wednesday! I’ll catch up on your blogs then!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. We all have so much to be thankful for in this world.
XOXOXOX
Sneak Peek: Newborn Baby “C” November 26, 2008
Baby “C” arrived on October 5th at 6:13pm and was 7lbs., 19 in.
She’s the beautiful baby born to H & K and is the baby sister to little K. H & I were in the same sorority together in college and when baby C was born I asked if I could do her newborn photo shoot.
I had the pleasure of meeting her on Sunday, November 3rd and formally take her portraits. We had a wonderful day of photos which I can’t wait to share with you all!
More to come!!
Halloween in the Emerald City November 24, 2008
I was finally able to catch up on the Halloween festivities of my friend Ryan and his wife Mandy that I previewed on Nov 3rd HERE. I’ve known Ryan and Mandy since high school and Ryan reached out to me via Facebook to see if I’d be interested in photographing some formal photos as well as candid photos of the night’s festivities.
My “alternate” assistant Guitree came with me for this event and was a tremendous help for her first time assisting me! We’ll definitely be working together again soon because I’m going to be taking on a wedding in March and she is going to be my assistant for that!
The majority below are the posed portraits taken in the amazing Victorian home belonging to Ryan & Mandy’s friends. The house is where the Emerald City was set up outside. Neighborhood children flocked to the event and were filled with delight to see all of the decorations and the amazing costumes everyone had (and Mandy made her own costume which came out fantastic…see the first photo below!)
This has to be my favorite photo of the night! I love everyone’s expressions!
The crowd was never ending! The kids were loving it!
The whole group together!
Hoped you enjoyed all of the costumes as much as I did!
The H Family at My Hometown Park November 24, 2008
Today’s job was canceled due to the high winds and cold so I had plenty of time to edit the remainder of the photos of the “H. Family.” I’m so happy I was able to get them done and share them with my old friend “S.” just in time for holiday ordering!
I am going to have a very hard time narrowing down favorites for the blog because I like so many of them!
He has great eyes!
Texture! YAY!
I love S. Jr’s pose here. He did this all on his own!
And sometimes you can help but take the sad faces…because even they are adorable!
S. and I go way back to Grammar school (Kindergarten through eight grade). I thought I’d throw in a few pics to embarrass us both:
5th grade
8th grade:
9th grade:
(That’s S and I in the front on the floor…notice I’m holding a video camera…always with some kind of camera! LOL):
Mother, Home, and Heaven November 22, 2008
Below are a few Post Card samples I did for a friend who was interested in a gift for her Mom’s club members.
She picked the photos from my FLOWERS gallery, provided the quote, and I did the rest!
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Wisper Salon – The Final Product November 21, 2008
I got my hair done tonight at Wisper Salon in Manalapan by my lovely & talented friend Tiffany.
Don’t you love my foil head? Gotta cover those grays!
And special request by Julie M – here is a bad cell phone pic of the final hair “do.”
Just look at those highlights! You go Tiffany!!
And while I was there I got to see the final poster from the makeup shoot (shown in Wednesday’s post) live and in person! I couldn’t resist taking a few photos because it’s so exciting to see your own work in the spotlight!
The master colorist of the salon (below) – Tiffany!
Do you know any good stylists in NJ?? – Help Wanted!
Shout out to my sister at www.cranburycustom.com who does all of Tiffany’s advertising (see the posters in the window_
Up close!
Yay! So exciting!
I thought it would be nice to share this with all of you since many of you have been there for me throughout my journey over the past and half.
Thanks for cheering me on along the way!
Send Love & Cheer With Custom Made Post Cards November 20, 2008
I started a new gallery on my website, a few months back, with the intention of featuring my photos along with the addition of quotes that inspire or move me, to be sold as Post Cards.
I’ve been so busy with other photography work that I haven’t had time to make as many as I’d like to and I haven’t been able to feature this new addition to my website until now.
The post cards will be featured in THIS GALLERY. So far I have 5 designs available and I hope to have time to create and add additional cards during the winter months – when things quiet down a little for me.
Cost: $5.99 each plus shipping.
The 4×6 Post Cards are printed using HP Indigo 5000 digital offset presses on heavy card stock. On the image side, there is a glossy, UV and water resistant coating. The back side is a standard template with address and stamp areas. It’s a popular gift with excellent color reproduction!
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The Final Poster – Wisper Salon November 19, 2008
Below is the final selection from this shoot for the poster that my friend Tiffany needed for her salon.
I’m glad she picked this photo one because it’s one of my favorites from the session and I think it highlights what she is advertising perfectly!
We ordered it in a 20×30 and it should arrive any day now. I can’t wait to see it in the window at the salon!
Her Eyes Smile November 18, 2008
Her deep blue eyes smile constantly, as if they had by fitness won the secret of a happy dream she does not care to speak.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning
I don’t know how I am so blessed to be able to photograph such amazingly beautiful children one after another. I feel lucky to be involved in capturing “fleeting moments” in the lives of families and their precious children.
Little “S” was such a doll with those gorgeous eyes. I just can’t get over how blue they are! I’m enamored by them! She was so filled with happiness and joy which truly showed during the session.
This is one little one that I look forward to photographing throughout the years to come! We’re already talking about a session next spring on the beach and I’m looking forward to it!
PS: She has the best stuffed toys!
The Seasons Come Full Turn and Pass November 16, 2008
“Leaves drift softly earthward toward the grass
Spring and summer blend from green to gold
And so the seasons come full turn and pass
Day follows day and each of us grows old.
Somewhere there is a bright new shining day
And as these seasons pace and turn
We will live in joy complete and never say
That for younger days our hearts still yearn.”
- Corby Magnuson, The Measure of Leaves
I have such a fond appreciation for nature ever since I became very serious about my photography passion and I see things with such open eyes now. I don’t know how I was viewing the world before but I know I wasn’t seeing it the way I do now.
During my lunch break on this beautiful day in October I laid on the grass under the trees and stared up at the most gorgeous colors against the bluest sky.
I stared up at the trees thinking about my life; soaking in all of the colors of fall in peace without a care in the world.
I kept the camera pointed towards the sky praying the wind would shake the leaves loose so that I could capture them floating down above me in mid flight…but my attempts were futile. They’d blow the wrong way or they’d fall so fast that I wasn’t ready with the camera.
Despite not fully achieving the vision I had hoped for I still got to enjoy the beautiful view and lay there contemplating life for a while before heading back to work.
Taken with the Tokina 12-24 (wide angle is awesome):
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Autumn Mosaic With a Twist “ala Mike” November 14, 2008
First let me start this post by honoring my great friend Heather (from One Shot Beyond Photography)’s very special day.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHER!
I hope it’s a great day for you!!
You deserve it!
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Mike (http://mpalmerphotography.blogspot.com/) and I were discussing my “Autumn Mosaic” post from yesterday and he gave me a suggestion on how I could have taken the photo differently.
I sent him the photo to see how he might have cropped it differently (to show me what he meant) and besides the suggestion he gave…he came up with this creation below. I thought it looked awesome and I wanted to share it.
It’s our first “Jen & Mike” Collaboration and Mike even titled it! LOL! I love how the shadows of the trees join together and that little bit of blue sky!
Thanks Mike!
Autumn Mosaic November 13, 2008
“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting
and autumn a mosaic of them all.”
- Stanley Horowitz
Coming Soon: Author, Nancy Marino November 12, 2008
I had the extreme pleasure of photographing Nancy Marino, referred to me through her niece Andrea, who is a friend from High School that I connected with on Facebook.
Nancy (or “Nan” for short) is being published for the first time and she needed photographs taken for various online publications. Her book entitled: Neil Armstrong is My Uncle and Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me is a Spring/Summer 2009 release from Roaring Books Press/MacMillan.
You can see her book’s Sneak Peek on this page: http://www.stimolaliterarystudio.com/sneak.html
I never met Nan before that day, in the park, but within 5 minutes of working with her I felt like I knew her forever. Jo Ann and I took an instant liking to Nan, who isn’t a big fan of having her photo taken, and hadn’t had her photo taken for many years. Once I heard this it was my goal to make her feel comfortable and to highlight her personality and beauty through my work.
Jo Ann and I helped Nan decided on wardrobe changes, jewelry choices and made her feel as comfortable as possible. I think we achieved our goal when Nan told me, after the session, that she felt like she had spent the day with friends rather than having her photos taken by someone she never met before. That made my heart sing since that was my goal (besides beautiful photos )
Nan is one of the most wonderful people I have been able to work with so far and I enjoyed my time with her as well.
As soon as I edit all of Nan’s top picks and my top picks I will do a full scale blog post of our session!
Nan, I wish much success to you on your first published book! I’ll be sure to promote your work here on my blog! I’m very proud to be your photographer and so happy you love the results of our session! You are an inspiration to Jo Ann & I. Thanks for sharing a little bit of your life with us!
