I'm Newly Commited

Okay, I admit it. I kinda suck at updating my blog. Since it's literally been a year since the last post, I really can't even try to argue about it. However, it's recently occured to me that not everyone visits the fan page on Facebook. Imagine my surprise to learn that the networking site, that has created a life of it's own on my computer, isn't the center of everyone else's universe. Next, someone's going to tell me that there are actual lives outside of my office/studio and that you don't have to view that world solely through the lens of a camera. Mind boggling, right? lol I kid, of course. This particular post is my new attempt at recommiting myself to blogging and letting you in on some of the behind the scenes giggles, the silly antics of the Made You Look Photography team, what you can expect from your experience with us, and a few sneak peeks at some of the finished images.

I'm not even going to put up a front: We are some crazy folks. From consultations all of the way to delivering the final products, we don't even pretend not to be having a great time. I'm not terribly serious myself. I actually have to force myself to do the technical aspects of being a business owner because I have so much fun just simply hanging out with my clients.

We're all just girls hanging out and having a fantastic time. It just so happens that one of us has a camera in hand. After it's all said and done, and your sides hurt from laughing so much, it's almost a surprise to discover that there are pictures of the day. It's as if the experience itself is worth more than the image captured. Don't get me wrong. Those images are priceless. I couldn't possibly tell you how many times I have heard the self doubt at the beginning of the morning evolve into self confidence and self assurance by the afternoon. I have found that tears of joy are not uncommon.

It's always amazed me how much women do for everyone around them compared to how little they do for themselves. A mother will spend days (or weeks) putting together the perfect outfits for her children and husband to wear for a family portrait. She'll then spend the entire morning frantically getting the rest of her family put together in a sort of miraculous picture day masterpiece only to hastily throw on a bit of make-up and hopefully run a brush through her hair in an attempt at not looking disheveled. Women are goddesses in their own right. Women move mountains. And yet, they/we undervalue ourselves more often than not. I know this because I've been in that same boat. I'm the 34 year old married mother of 3 incredible children. It took me up until this point in my life to realize that I truly like myself the way that I am. Could I stand to lose a few pounds? Sure. Should I spend more time doing things that help me to grow as a person? Absolutely. But the fact remains that I love myself just as I am right now. And that is exactly what I want for every woman to feel about herself. We are not formally beautiful. We are beautiful now in this moment just as we are. I was trying to explain this to someone recently, and I think I've finally found a way to articulate that feeling into words. Your body is a visual display of your life's experiences. Each scar and wrinkle tell a story of a moment that helped to shape you into the person that you are today. Embrace yourself as you are now for you are beautifully and wonderously made.

And now that I've made my new commitment blog post a bit longer than I intended, how about some peeks at some recent work that I've done as a reward for hanging in for the long haul during my rambling. ^_-

This is from a glamour session that we did outdoors at a local park. This girl is what you call a natural beauty for sure! I just couldn't stop "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing over her.

Here's a favorite from a boudoir session where we created an entire room in an empty space. That was a seriously fun day! Doesn't she look like a young Elizabeth Taylor here?? Breathtaking.

This is another example of where we created an entire set from an empty space while on location. I don't superimpose backgrounds or objects into my images, so this all had to be done by hand. Don't you wish that the real cupid was this hot??

Okay, so I've never done a bathtub shot before with the exception of my "Picture Parties" over a decade ago. This was a while other ballgame that I couldn't wait to tackle and play with. I've actually got several versions of bathtub shots on the books for upcoming sessions, but this one is different. It was pretty "on the fly", as we'd already started packing away equipment, but I am SO glad that we did it. This girl is just phenominal!

If you'd like to see more samples of my work, please check out our fan page on Facebook. Shoot me an e-mail, and let's set up your life changing consultation.