Laughing at myself

Today was a slow day because of the snow so I thought it was a great day to tackle some of the more mundane organizational projects I've been wanting to do for a long time. What I didn't realize was how long it had been since I had attempted to do these projects. When I first started over 5 years ago I was diligent about collecting and compiling anything that would help me learn more about photography. So it started with subscribing to every photo magazine out there, then I would rip out articles that taught me something new, they would stay in a big pile until I had time to sort, later I would put those articles into color coded folders by topic ..... that would end up sitting on a shelf. When I got more advanced they moved from folders into a 3 ring binder with tabs preciously placed in sheet protectors. That's why I have to laugh at myself today as I'm going through all these folders and notebooks and looking at the articles. The rapid pace of digital photography and it's associated technology alone has made them outdated - not to mention the fact that some are 3 and 4 years old. I will admit I got a little sentimental remembering those early days and how I had to come up with some system for digesting and organizing all of the new information.

The good news is that as I'm looking through all these articles on color space, resolution, sharpening, pixels, retouching, black and white conversions, tonality and color correction, lighting ratios and I no longer feel overwhelmed - in fact, it makes me realize how very much I focused on the technical aspects of digital photography in those early years. Lately, my focus has shifted more to the artistic side and instead of notebooks on photoshop tutorials - I'm compiling a notebook of images .... images that appeal to me for whatever reason - maybe it's the expression, the camera angle, the colors, the dramatic lighting, the candid nature, and I hope I can learn as much from this notebook as the early ones.

As I move into the next phase of my photography - I have to laugh a little at myself - this is my office and my thoughts in the very messy process of organization ;)

52 Weeks - 52 Images

The people I get to work with.


Cancun, Mexico


I love my new gallery!


The simple things


Hilton Head, SC

This is normally the time of year when I put together my personalized calendar together. Yes, I know January is a little late - but the end of the year usually ends up being so busy for me that I don't seem to be able to find the time. So yesterday I worked on my calendar and decided to go with a great 8x6 calendar from Miller's that allows one image per week - hence, 52 images. In looking back over the past year of images I was able to reflect on some of the changes in my photography, my business, and my personal life. This was the first year that I photographed images for a band, my first year to really get the opportunity to work with models and do more glamour photography, and also my first year to really do a full-fledged senior girl photo session.

2008 was also a great year of travel for me - I was able to travel to San Francisco and Napa Valley, Hilton Head, Jamaica, and Cancun. Some of my favorite images selected for my calendar remind me of the wonderful adventures I was able to share with my family in the past year. I redid my studio and my hallway gallery with images that I love - and really enjoy hearing the comments from my clients as they stop and look at my images. I added a natural light area to my studio, new furniture, and a new sales projection area. I was able to get back into photographing weddings with my sister in Texas and realize that I truly enjoy wedding photography and all that entails.

I have been influenced by the new styles in photography from my good friend Devon Jones, local and well known photographer Allison Rodgers, and the works of Chicago Photographer Audrey Woulard. I started blogging for the first time! I went live with a new website :) And I had the chance to work with more new clients than ever before.

I am so appreciative of all the good things that Candid Creations by Mary Photography has brought into my life. I hope as I work my way through all 52 weeks of this coming year that the images on my calendar remind me of the wonderful people I have been able to meet, the wonderful places I've been, and inspire me to have an even better next 52 weeks.

A Texas Style Wedding

A Beautiful sparkler exit.


I just finished up working with my sister again in College Station, TX for a typical Aggie Wedding. One thing you can expect if photographing a young couple who have recently graduated from Texas A&M is a ton of spirit. And that's exactly what Kimbra and Luke's wedding had so much of - spirit and family love. What can you expect from a typical Aggie wedding? Well ....... cowboy boots, country music at the reception, everyone singing the Aggie War Hymn, a circle of everyone showing off their Aggie rings, a groom's cake with an A&M theme, a welcome Howdy from everyone we met and worked with, and just a great sense of tradition, family, and love. These are some of my favorites - enjoy!

Melissa and Michael

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything on my blog but I'm back from my holiday break and feeling re-energized and ready to have the best year yet in photography. Melissa and Michael's maternity session was my first official session of the year. They were the perfect couple to work with and I loved that they brought new ideas and were so willing to just play. I knew when I saw what I was getting on the camera that I was going to love working with this very photogenic and fun couple. Here is just a sneak peek of some of the awesome images from our session.